World

Libyan forces free two Indians from IS

Libyan pro-government forces have freed five foreign nationals including two Indians held by Islamic State in Sirte after heavy fighting in their battle to capture the final district of the city, a local official said.
Libyan forces free two Indians from IS
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On Thursday, Islamic State took over Sirte more than a year ago, profiting from chaos caused by infighting among rival brigades of Libyan forces who once battled together to oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, but steadily turned against each other. Two of the freed foreigners were from Turkey, two from India and one from Bangladesh, said Rida Issa, a spokesman for the Bonyan Marsous forces which have been battling for six months against militants in Sirte. “There was a desperate resistance by Daesh, but it was confronted by heavy weapons,” Issa said, using one of the Arabic names for Islamic State. On Thursday, pro-government forces killed at least 20 Islamic State fighters as they pushed into the 600 District of Sirte, one of the last held by militants who control an area now less than one square kilometer, local officials said. After facing heavy casualties at the start of the campaign, Misrata forces have increasingly turned to the use of tanks and armed vehicles to clear a path for ground troops.

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