ISIS in action

ISIS-cells inside Libya appear to be increasingly assertive and to be developing the potential to influence military and political events at the national level, including UN-backed negotiations and the overall dialogue process. An explosive device was detonated outside of the Algerian Embassy in Tripoli and 21 Coptic Christians were abducted in Sirte.

There was no noticeable change in ISIS activity in Libya this week.

On Friday 2 January, 14 soldiers belonging to the 168th Battalion of the Libyan Army were killed. The Cyrenaica-based IS cell published a number of photos portraying apartments and cars belonging to supporters of Khalifa Haftar’s Operation Dignity burned and destroyed by member of the radical Islamist organisation.

In Sirte, the security situation continues to spiral out of control due to a multiplicity of militias.

No actions by ISIS this week.

On 13 December a group of brigades from Misrata in conjunction with Ansar al-Sharia in Sirte began advancing on the oil crescent in an attempt to ‘liberate’ the country’s energy facilities.

Sirte continues to be the object of a struggle between Misrata-aligned forces and radical Islamist groups aligned with Ansar al-Shari’a. Derna continues to be a hotbed of radical Islamist militias.

The situation in Derna remains unaltered with radical IS-aligned groups maintaining control of the city and of its infrastructure. Operation Dignity forces continue to enforce a blockade over the city’s port and carried out aerial attacks as recently as Wednesday 26 November.

As ISIS Derna strengthens in Derna, they are still up against other militant factions in the town who are resisting pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.