Eight new US airstrikes yesterday against ISIS in Sirte – bring total to 169 since August

By Sami Zaptia.

London, 23 September 2016:

The United States’ Africa Command (Africom) reported today that yesterday it carried out a further 8 new airstrikes against ISIS in Sirte.

These latest reported strikes bring the total of airstrikes in Sirte to 169 since Operation Odyssey Lightning commenced on 1^st August this year, Africom reports.

The airstrikes conducted on 22 September were against the following eight targets:

1. One Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device
2. One enemy fighting position
3. One enemy fighting position
4. One enemy fighting position
5. One enemy fighting position
6. Two enemy fighting positions
7. One enemy fighting position
8. One enemy fighting position

These latest airstrikes came as U.S. Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, reported earlier this month saying that the U.S.-backed Libyan Bunyan Marsous forces, affiliated to the internationally recognized and Faiez Serraj-led Presidency Council/Government of National Accord, are close to vanquishing Islamic State from its last holdouts in Sirte.

However, although the Misrata dominated Bunyan Marsous forces report that ISIS are confined to a small area of two to three square kilometres, ISIS have proved difficult to dislodge as they escalate their use of IED’s and vehicle borne IED’s causing Bunyan forces high casualties.