IS attacks city, then retreats

MISRATA: Islamic State (IS) militants briefly entered the centre of Sabratha during overnight clashes with local military brigades before retreating.

Islamist militants have taken advantage of a lack of central authority to establish a presence in Libya, with fighters loyal to IS staging attacks in several other cities.

The fighting in Sabratha started when local brigades – formerly among the many rebel groups that joined in an uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 – attacked suspected IS hideouts 15km south of the city.

It said the militants then “took advantage of the security vacuum downtown and spread out all over the city” before being forced out by the brigades.