Libyan forces seize last stronghold of IS in Sirte

The last buildings occupied by Islamic State militants in Sirte have fallen into hands of Libyan fighters, officials say, as anti-IS fighters celebrated in the streets of the final IS stronghold in Libya.

Ahmed Hadiya, the head of the media center for the anti-IS operation, says: “This is the last major battle, but it is not the end of military operations, nor the declaration of liberation.”

Hadiya said that 12 fighters were killed on Tuesday in “intense fighting.”

The United States threw its support behind the anti-IS operation in August, helping break weeks of stalemate with dozens of airstrikes.

While the extremist group has lost its major base in Libya, IS militants might seek sanctuary elsewhere — such as Libya’s lawless southern regions.

— AP

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