The spokesman for Al-Bunyan Al-Marsoos, Mohammed Al-Ghasri, warned Barak Al-Shatti’s residents about letting the terrorist groups succeed in controlling the airport and military base of the district, saying it would pose a grave threat to their forces.
“IS militants are receiving support from Khalifa Haftar’s forces because they and IS radicals are two sides of the same coin.” Al-Ghasri said in a press statement.
“We have reliable information that proves that some militants escaped from Sirte into other districts, especially in the South, and some of them were seen in Barak Al-Shatti.” He added, pointing out that those terrorists obtained weapons and ammunition from Mohammed Ben Nayel – a leader of pro-Haftar militias in southern Libya – and his supporting armed groups.
Al-Ghasri said their forces are combing through the areas suspected of being new IS hub or a shelter for other terrorists, hinting at the pro-Haftar forces of Brigade 12, led by Ben Nayel.
“The forces in Zilla are a mixture of Haftar’s forces and Chadian rebels as well as IS Sirte escapes, so we urge Haftar’s forces to pull out in order to remain safe because they are Libyans, though investigations with IS captives proved they had been supported by Haftar’s forces by securing their post-defeat withdrawal from Derna and their arrival in Sirte.” He indicated.
“Libya’s air force will carry out target-oriented airstrikes on terrorists’ positions in Barak Al-Shatti after a coordination with the ground forces, who will then take up combing through those air attacked spots, so we urge the residents to cooperate with our forces.” Al-Ghasri concluded.
