The largest of the Misrata-based brigades support the unity
government that is now gradually trying to stamp its authority on the
country beyond its base in the capital Tripoli.
Islamic State kills 4 Libyan security personnel near Misrata(Ib Times)
Four members of military forces loyal to Libya's new U.N.-backed unity government have been killed and 30 wounded in clashes with Islamic State (IS) insurgents near the western Libyan city of Misrata, a hospital spokesman said on Thursday.
Aziz
Issa said the fighting was going on east of Assdada, around 80 km (50
miles) south of Misrata and the line of defence for brigades from the
coastal city since IS militants captured several villages and
checkpoints in the area late last week.
Assdada is
also more than 150 km (90 miles) west of Sirte, Islamic State's
stronghold in the widely lawless North African country since last year.
The
largest of the Misrata-based brigades support the unity government that
is now gradually trying to stamp its authority on the country beyond
its base in the capital Tripoli.
Commanders
of an operations room set up by unity government authorities in Misrata
say they are preparing an offensive to recapture Sirte. After several
days of calm, fighting broke out at Assdada late on Wednesday.
European
powers and the United States hope the unity government will be able to
unite Libya's rival political and armed factions to take on Islamic
State.
But the unity government has struggled to
win support from another administration based in eastern Libya and the
military forces allied to it.
Islamic State
controls a strip of more than 250 km (155 miles) of Libya's central
Mediterranean coastline, from which it has launched attacks to the east,
west and south.
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