The spokesman of the so called Libyan Arab Armed Forces (Haftar’s militias), Ahmed Al-Mismari, said their forces are besieging Derna city from four axes and they are ready to advance into the city any moment to liberate it from terrorism, as he alleged.
By force of habit, Haftar’s militias called storming Derna operation “Al-Burkan” (the volcano), pointing out that they do not aim at entering Derna but at isolating it and controlling its entrances.
Meanwhile, armed clashes between Haftar’s militias and Derna revolutionaries had already taken place in Al-Heela district, which was home for the most violent clashes between Derna revolutionaries and IS militants without any intervention by Haftar’s militias, except for besieging the revolutionary fighters and crippling their movement before they could uproot all of IS militants from the entire city.
It is worth mentioning that Derna Shura Council revolutionaries announced on April 20 the liberation of the city from IS, as they were killed and fought out of their last hideout in Al-Fatayeh after months-long clashes without any help from Haftar’s militias, which call whoever does not pledge allegiance to them “terrorists”.
In addition, the remaining militants of IS who were fighting in Al-Fatyeh escaped through five checkpoints and locations for Haftar’s militias when they were retreating from Derna toward Sirte without ever being intercepted by them, knowing that the IS militants attacked the Oil Facilities Guard on their way, which was regarded by the latter s a clear coordination between IS and Haftar’s militias to control the oil fields and ports.
