By Libya Herald reporter.
Tripoli, 21 June 2016:
At least 36* soldiers from the Bunyan Masrous operations room were killed today in massive clashes with Islamic State (IS) forces near the centre of Sirte. The fighting followed a fresh offensive by the operations room to seize the centre of the town.
Misrata Central Hospital reported that in addition to receiving 39 bodies, it was treating 33 injured, six of them in critical condition. Other reports, though, speak of at least 60 wounded. Most of the dead and injured are from Misrata although some are from Sebha, Sirte, Jufra and Waddan.
The number of IS casualties is unknown although the operations room spoke of dozens dead.
Most of the fighting was in the area known as “700 district” in south east of the centre, and less than a couple of kilometres from the Ibn Sina hospital. Bunyan Marsous says that it now controls much of the area as well as the already heaving damaged District No. 2 in the west centre of town along with the neighbouring Ben Hamal Mosque, the electricity headquarters north of the hospital and the radio station nearby.
*MCH had earlier put the figure at 39 on its Facebook page. It has since reduced it to 36.
