ISIS Continues Attacks In The Face Of US Airstrikes

ISIS continued to stage attacks close to Baghdad and Surt in Libya, highlighting its persistence in the face of the air campaign led by the US in both countries.

The Islamic State was able to capture an important power plant along a coastal raod leading to Misurata, a commercial center controlled by a militia that forms the foundation of the coalition controlling Tripoli. The loss of the power plant was the second major blow for the militia, which was initially sent by the Tripoli government to drive the militant group from Surt.

In Iraq, a local council building was attacked by two gunmen with suicide vests in Amariya al Falluja, which is around 37 miles from Baghdad. The city is among the last strongholds of the Iraqi government in the Anbar province following the fall of Ramadi nearly a month ago. Iraq has been fighting the militants close to Amariya al Falluja in the past few months.

The group is continuing to gain ground in both Iraq and Libya. Since the Shite government in Baghdad has not convinced the Sunni minority of its commitment to ensure equal justice for the members of the minority group, sympathy for the Sunni extremists within ISIS has started to grow.

On the other hand, two competing factions in Libya have yet to work together to slow down the advances of the Islamic State. Neither faction has offered alternative models of effective governance. Western countries have struggled to find effective partners in the two countries that can provide a way of dealing with the incursions of ISIS.

The capture of the power plant by the extremist group may result to blackouts in the western and central regions of Libya. In the last two weeks, ISIS captured an airport near Surt along with a water utility plant used by the Misuratan militia as a base. The militia said when it retreated to regroup at the power plant in order to protect it after other fighters guarding it left.

The militia, also known as Brigade 166, revealed that it retreated after they lost five fighters following an early morning attack by ISIS. They said the provisional government in Tripoli did not send any support. The statement added until the government sends support, they will continue “to be powerless.”

ISIS Continues Attacks - image credit: cnn.com

The provisional government in Tripoli is currently dealing with a power struggle against a rival leader, General Khalifa Hifter. As the two factions struggle with each other, extremists linked to the Islamic State have started to increase their presence along the shores of Libya. Islamist fighters from Darnah along with another group in the southern region have pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Surt was captured by a third unit of ISIS fighters. Surt, hometown of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, is the most significant foothold of the extremist group in Libya. The group has controlled the center of the city since the start of the year. Militants have also staged attacks against Misurata forces in the area.

Diplomats from the United Nations have been working for the past six months to facilitate the creation of a government that will unite the two rival factions in Libya. The move was partly aimed at countering the expansion of the Islamic State. A draft of the proposal was finalized recently and it will be presented to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, which is expected to support it in order to bring stability to the country.

Diplomats are hoping that the deal will unite moderates from the two factions so they can deal with the hardliners of both sides. It remains unclear if the proposal will be supported or opposed by members of the two rival factions.

The attack in Amariya al Falluja highlights the capability of the Islamic State of attacking within territory controlled by the government. The two ISIS gunmen opened fire while a meeting of local sheikhs was being conducted. Two police officers and two civilians died during the attack before the gunmen were killed by the bodyguards of the local council head, Shaker al-Issawi.

Issawi said authorities think the ISIS gunmen hid among displaced Sunni Muslims from the Anbar Province. This statement may further increase tension inside the embattled Middle-Eastern country.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday June 10 2015, 10:42 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0