TRIPOLI, Dec. 7 -- A year after the Islamic State (IS) lost the city of Sirte, its former stronghold in Libya, remaining terrorists are moving in desert areas near the city in an attempt to regroup.
Forces of the Libyan UN-backed government announced last year taking control of the entire city of Sirte, some 450 km east the capital Tripoli, following an eight-month war against IS affiliates that killed more than 700 army soldiers and injured 3,000 others.
Taha Hadid, a spokesman for Sirte's Security Force, said the city is recovering greatly, but there is fear that IS is regrouping while continuing to recruit new members.
"We know very well that head of the IS immigration bureau, Khabib Al-Darnawi, is still recruiting new members. He is a wanted man who is still moving with the remaining fighters in Sirte and Jufra desert," Hadid told Xinhua.
"We found IS belongings and clothes of African migrants in the valley and desert areas of Sirte. This is evidence that IS is exploiting these simple people and persuading them to join," Hadid added.
Hadid pointed that the remaining IS fighters moving in desert areas near Sirte are no more than 100 members. "They are constantly moving over fear of being targeted by U.S. air forces or confrontation with our forces. They are weak and lack equipment. Confrontation with us can lead to eliminating them completely."
Hadid also warned of the risk of underestimating the terrorists' ability to launch sudden attacks on any military forces present in Sirte, in an attempt to cause more losses and give themselves a moral victory after their defeat last year.
He also demanded continued financial and logistical support from the government to eliminate any future IS threats in Sirte or other Libyan cities.
Sirte's Security Force was formed by the Government of National Accord in March, following declaration of liberation of Sirte from IS. Consisting of 3,000 members, its task is to protect and secure Sirte and its suburbs by ongoing patrols.
The desert of the city of Sirte is one of the IS most active areas, given its rugged valley terrain. The remaining terrorists are also moving in southern Libya, given the vast area, which makes it difficult to monitor their movement.
Military sources this week revealed that IS is preparing to regroup in southern Sirte, in an attempt to launch new attacks on its former stronghold.
The Libyan eastern-based army, led by General Khalifa Haftar, in November launched air strikes on IS sites and ammunition depots in the Crescent oil region, specifically the desert road leading to the town Harawah, 70 km east of Sirte.
The army's raids destroyed IS positions and killed dozens of them.
Mohamed Al-Khoja, a Libyan researcher on Islamic groups, said that "fears of IS regrouping are real and they must be dealt with even if the threat is limited."
"Everyone knows that IS does not have great popular sympathy in Libya, however, the group continues to recruit foreign members. Thus, it tries to strengthen its human front to increase the number of its members they describe as immigrants. They often have a more bloody and hateful ideology. It is easy for them to blow up themselves, in order to make a psychological impact in the areas where they move," Al-Khoja explained.
Khoja stressed the seriousness of IS movements and exploitation of the desert "as a safe passage to finance its operations and attract new members from the southern border of Libya, where it is difficult to monitor due to the vast geographical nature and rugged desert."
Khalid Farjani, a primary school teacher, believes that the biggest challenge, along with the risk of IS return, is rebuilding government institutions, especially destroyed schools, health centers and homes.
"The school semester began more than a month ago, and more than half of the city's schools are destroyed or not equipped for students, in addition to the destruction of almost every neighborhood or street in Sirte," Farjani told Xinhua.
"We have been promised reconstruction and provision of basic services in the city, such as drinking water, electricity and sanitation. Today, more than half of the city's residents are displaced because their houses are destroyed, especially in the Giza neighborhood, which is almost completely destroyed," Farjani said.
"Sirte suffers from an environmental disaster, where hundreds of IS bodies are under the rubble. They were not recovered despite ongoing appeals," Farjani added.
Spokesman for the Municipal Council of Sirte, Mohamed El-Eimel, confirmed that the services and homes in Sirte are almost completely destroyed because of the fighting that took place in the city.
"Unfortunately, more than 2,000 homes have been completely destroyed. Thousands of other houses have been damaged by the war. Also, educational and health facilities have been destroyed," Eimel said.
Eimel pointed that the support from the government is "very slow, which prevented more than 3,000 families from returning to Sirte because of the lack of maintenance of their homes and the poor government services."
He said that the Municipal Council depended on international aids provided by the World Health Organization and the International Red Cross, which continuously delivers food and medical supplies.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), under cooperation agreement with Sirte's Municipal Council, carried maintenance for 12 schools with a total cost of over 2 million U.S. dollars.
你是天生的大英雄吗?
为了更好的明天:提高孩子智力的10个生活细节
手套 Gloves
做最特别的自己 Be Yourself And Stay Unique
法国约会网站:男人上货架 女人随便挑
英王室就凯特王妃半裸照起诉法媒体
美国特种兵大比拼 三角洲军团 vs 海豹突击队
长大后我就成了你:成为一名教师的10个理由
2岁男童当街小便妈妈被开罚单
苹果新iPhone能否满足期待
大学时光不能虚度:给大学生活的5条宝贵建议
当下世界遭遇崛起的中国
最让英国人脸红的50个尴尬瞬间
主人去世 英国两肥猫仅靠脂肪挨过一个月
爱生活爱自己:9种方式今天对自己好一点
女友过生日送什么?6大最贴心生日礼物选择!
安妮海瑟薇:从纯真公主到性感猫女
瑞银职员举报逃税 坐牢两年获1亿美元
不太智能的智能电视
人生格言美句:感谢生命里曾出现的那些人
十二星座对心上人说的情话
美国打造百年星舰计划 宇航员将有去无回
十二星座对浪漫之吻的不同体验
英国推出新型二维码墓碑 扫描二维码可获死者信息
奥巴马接受民主党提名 自比罗斯福
中秋节月饼包装价格在月亮之上
贝卢斯科尼豪宅藏地下洞穴 似007电影场景
重拾欢乐旧时光:孩子教给我们的15个快乐小秘诀
婴儿向父母学习幽默 一岁就有幽默感
候诊室里的圣诞节
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |