Libya - Islamic Militia Fighting ISIS

新华网开罗3月14日电的黎波里消息:利比亚宗教民兵武装“利比亚黎明”14日在北部城市苏尔特与极端组织“伊斯兰国”武装人员爆发严重冲突。这是自“伊斯兰国”今年2月占领苏尔特以来,双方首次爆发冲突。

News from Tripoli received from XinHua Network in Cairo on March 14: Libya's religious militia forces "Libyan Dawn" have burst into serious clashes with armed personnel of the extremist organization "Islamic State" in the northern town of Sirte on [March] 14. This is the first outbreak of clashes between both sides since Sirte was occupied by the "Islamic State" in February.

苏尔特是利比亚前领导人卡扎菲的家乡。今年2月中旬,“伊斯兰国”逐步控制了苏尔特,控制了当地的政府大楼、大学和广播电台。“利比亚黎明”随后进驻苏尔特郊区,说要将“伊斯兰国”武装人员赶出苏尔特,但并未采取军事行动。

Sirte is the hometown of former Libyan leader Gaddafi. This year, in the middle of February, the "Islamic State" [i.e. ISIS] step by step began to dominate Sirte. They took over control of the local government building, the university and the radio station. Soon after, the "Libyan Dawn" entered and remained in Sirte suburbs, saying that armed personnel of the "Islamic State" needed to be rushed out of Sirte. However, no military operation was carried out.

在“利比亚黎明”14日与“伊斯兰国”武装人员爆发冲突后,利比亚“救国政府”总理奥马尔·哈西在首都的黎波里召开记者会表示,不会容许“伊斯兰国”在利比亚扩展。

On [March] 14, clashes broke out between the "Libyan Dawn" and armed personnel of [ISIS] the "Islamic State". In the capital of Tripoli, Omar al-Hasi, the prime minister of Libya's "government of national salvation" convened a press conference where he indicated he would not tolerate the "Islamic State" to expand in Libya.

[Source: People's Network quoting XinHua Network 新华网 on March 15, 2015]




Position of Sirte (Surt)

Libya is known to be ruled by two opposing governments, that one in Tripoli and another one in Tobruk near the Egyptian border. Even though the Tobruk administration is internationally accepted, especially by western countries, the regime in Tripoli is in control of essential parts of Libya. It is being supported by "Libyan Dawn", an Islamist coalition.

As to the presence of the "Islamic State" ISIS in Libya, here the following information:
ISIS has expanded its influence from Syria and Iraq where it has set up a "caliphate" and gained a foothold in Libya, where it has claimed several bombings.

Last month a Libyan branch of ISIS claimed the beheading of 21 Christians, mostly Egyptians, prompting Cairo to launch retaliatory air strikes on jihadist targets in the North African country.