[ad_1]
French special forces have been secretly assisting Libyan forces in their fight against Islamic State militants, according to reports, according to anonymous Libyan military officials who were not authorized to speak to the media on the matter.
Furthermore, the French have remained silent about their involvement. When asked if this information was correct, the French Ministry of Defense simply refused to comment, citing their policy that prohibits them from commenting on any activities their special forces may be involved in.
Sources have revealed that France has set up an operations room at Banina Air Base in Benghazi, which would put it alongside the US and UK, which already have troops stationed there. In addition, it is understood that France is working with those countries to gather further information on the location of Islamic State militants.
While some may see France’s involvement as helping Libya, the perception is not entirely positive. The various Salafi factions working with the eastern Libyan army are said to be unhappy with the intervention of other countries.
Still, the US is hoping for support from other countries, especially France, Britain and Italy, to fight the Islamic State. The US recently carried out an airstrike near Sabratha, and while it is believed that many Islamic State fighters were killed, Serbian hostages are believed to be among the victims.
Libya is still struggling to recover from the aftermath of the 2011 uprising that led to the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi. The unrest allowed the Islamic State to take advantage and eventually control the country’s major cities.
The situation is not helped by the fact that Libya is currently ruled by two parliaments: one internationally recognized and based in the eastern city of Tobruk, and the other based near Tripoli and backed by Islamist allies.
There are hopes that a new government will be formed in the near future. The United Nations has recently brought together several factions within the country, but this proposed unity government needs to be approved by the eastern parliament. Once approved, there are hopes that international military action against ISIS will be easier to arrange.
But for now, the situation appears to be getting worse.WednesdayIn 2013, the security headquarters in Sabratha was seized by an Islamic State affiliate, resulting in the beheading of 12 officials. Although the attackers were eventually driven out, it showed how vulnerable the entire country is to the current unstable situation.
International forces are frantically trying to find ways to stop such attacks. The latest country to make a significant move is Italy, which now allows U.S. drones to take off from Sicily. The main requirement of this regulation is that the drones can only be used to strike against Islamic State extremists based in Libya.
In addition, an unnamed Italian Defense Ministry official claimed that the United States needs to meet other issues before launching drones. Every time a drone takes off from Sicily, Washington must apply for permission from the Italian government. It is understood that Italy is willing to grant such permission only when the purpose is to protect military personnel rather than launch an attack.
Therefore, the United States and other major anti-terrorist forces still have little room for action. However, with the participation of French special forces and the United Nations’ hope to promote the establishment of a new coalition government, the situation is expected to gradually improve.
[ad_2]
Source link
