The Battle for Sirte: Bid to eliminate ISIS or a quest for political legitimacy
All Libyn parties were in hurry to announce that they are deploying their military forces against ISIS in Sirte, which reflects the hectic political conflict between the Tobruk-seated House of Representatives in the east, and the Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez Sarraj, in the west. Additionally, each party is seeking to expand into the strategic coastal city of Sirte to boost their position both politically and on the ground to counter the opposing party. This threatens to transform the battle to liberate Sirte into a civil war between Libyan parties and enable ISIS to expan deeper due to the escalating domestic turbulence in Libya.
