You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Africa North
Tripoli's Mitiga Airbase attacked by IS, assailants killed
2015-09-20
[Libya Herald] A four-man suicide group from the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(IS) managed to penetrate Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
's Mitiga airbase early this morning and attack one of the prisons there. All four, however, were killed when they tried to storm the building used by the Rada (Deterrence) forces of Abdul-Raouf Kara. However,
the man who has no enemies isn't anybody and has never done anything...
it is claimed that they managed to blow a hole in the prison wall.

There are reports that at least three Rada fighters were also killed in the fighting.

IS has put out a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, with photos of the attackers, some of whom it is thought are not Libyan. They were armed with explosives belts.

There are conflicting reports as to the motive for the attack. One is that the squad wanted to rescue fellow IS members held at the prison. Another is that the aim was simply to show that they could hit those controlling the capital, Kara being a principle figure. There are also suggestions that the attack aimed to undermine Abdul Hakim Belhaj, the former LIFG commander now widely regarded as the most powerful person in the city. His Libyan Wings airline has announced that it will start flying from the airport tomorrow.
Posted by:Fred

00:00