ISIS ups its Libyan campaign ahead of EU troops arrival

Yesterday we reported on a major bombing on a police training barracks in Libya's western town of Zliten: reports vary as to the scale of casualties but between 56 and 70 people were killed and up to 200 injured by the suicide truck bomb. As Zliten lies between the major western centres of Misrata and Tripoli, an area that until yesterday was seen as the heartland of the Libyan Dawn militias; ISIS carrying out an attack like this marks a major shift, both geographically and militarily, in its Libyan campaign, hitting at the core of the western (unrecognised) government's territory. At the same time ISIS is reported to have captured the town of Bin Jawad, which lies between its stronghold of Sirte and the two main oil export terminals at Ras Lanuf and Al Sidr, and to have continued its attacks on both terminals with the extent of the storage tank fires clearly visible from space. The increased level of activity highlights two issues: in the first place, ISIS now has the scale of resources in Libya to fight successfully on multiple fronts, and secondly, it seems to be making a push for strategic positions ahead of a likely intervention by EU troops.

By Libya Herald reporters.

Tripoli and Tunis, 7 January 2016:

There have been horrified reactions to today’s suicide-bombing carnage in Zliten’s security training centre . . .[restrict]which slew as many as 70 cadets and injured hundreds more.

As mass funerals began for the victims of the deadliest single attack since the Revolution, the Ghwell administration in Tripoli declared three days of mourning. Besides Zliten, the injured were taken to hospitals in Khoms, Misrata and Tripoli, where urgent appeals went out for donations of blood and for all available medical staff to come and assist. The Beida Ministry of Health said it was sending anaesthetics and other medical supplies from Benghazi and Tobruk.

“The closer we are getting to finding a consensus that heals the nation’s wounds, the more terror attacks will increase” said Faiez Serraj, prime-minister designate of the new Government of National Accord, “The terrorists are interested only in spreading fear and distracting Libyans from their real battle, which is consensus and state-building”.

The GNA said that it had formed working groups to link with health services in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco to assist with urgent medical supplies. UNSMIL also said that it was helping organise international medical support.

UNSMIL chief Martin Kobler was among the first to react to the tragedy when he called Zliten’s mayor to deplore the massacre. He said later that he was shocked at this reprehensible attack. It was a heinous act that once again showed “urgent progress is required toward the formation of the Government of National Accord and the activation and rebuilding of Libyan security forces”.

He warned: “This attack comes at a time when fighting is still going on at oil facilities in Sidra. Libya cannot afford to remain divided in the face of such serious terrorist threat”.

EU Foreign Affairs chief Federica Mogherini, who is due in Tunis tomorrow to meet Serraj, said that once again Libyans had been targeted by terrible violence and once again they were mourning the results. The rapid acceptance of the GNA would help defend everyone.

She added: “It will also help preserve Libya’s resources, defeat terrorists that want to undermine Libya’s prosperity and restore stability and security throughout the country”.

Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said that Italy stood solidly with the Libyans but that the terrorist threat had first to be confronted by the unity of all Libyans”. [/restrict]