Libyan forces secure more civilians out of IS holdout in Sirte as battle nears end
Libyan forces said at least 10 women and children left the last cluster of buildings controlled by Islamic State in the group’s former stronghold of Sirte on Sunday, adding that they had edged closer to taking full control of the city, Reuters reported.
Forces led by brigades from Misrata and backed by U.S. air strikes have surrounded Islamic State fighters in a small patch of ground close to Sirte’s Mediterranean sea front, it added.
Several groups of women and children, as well as male civilian captives, have either escaped or been released from the shrinking area held by Islamic State in recent weeks, according to Reuters.
The presence of civilians has complicated the effort to dislodge militants from their holdout, and several women have walked from the area only to carry out deadly suicide attacks, indicated Reuters.
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