REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TRIPOLI -- More than 15 people were killed and 10 others injured in violent clashes on Saturday between forces of the General National Congress (GNC) and the Islamic State (IS/ISIS) affiliates in Libya's western city of Sirte, according to a military source.
"The clashes are still going on. The IS insurgents suffered heavy losses," General Mohamed al-Ajtal, commander of the joint operations of the GNC forces, told Xinhua.
"The clashes were heavy in the areas of al-Thahir and Hrawa. Our troops destroyed a number of IS military vehicles, killing 15 and wounding five others," a military source of the GNC's 166 Infantry Battalion said.
The GNC forces, which consisted of Islamist armed groups, have recently been attempting to gain control of Sirte, a city 450 kilometers east of the capital Tripoli.
Libya has witnessed a drastic escalation of violence after the 2011 turmoil which toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The Islamist militants and pro-secular militia have been vying for cities and towns for months, making a security havoc in the north African country.
Some IS affiliates have taken the chance and seized cities like Sirte and Derna.
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