Libyan coast guard plays major role in battle against ISIL

World Today

Libya’s push to expel ISIL from the coastal town of Sirte has expanded from land to the sea where the country’s coastguard plays an active role in combating extremists from off-shore locations.

Libya’s push to expel ISIL from the coastal town of Sirte has expanded from land to the sea where the country’s coastguard plays an active role in combating extremists from off-shore locations.

CCTV’s Stephanie Freid reports

ISIL stormed the coastguard station in 2015, killed nine members of Libya’s coastguard and took over the base. The extremists transformed the building into a workshop to make metal defense shields used on suicide mission vehicles. Libyan fighters took back the coastguard base a few months ago, and now, it’s a nerve center for anti-ISIL maneuvers.

Since Libya’s campaign to oust ISIL from Sirte began in May, coastguard patrols routinely fire on ISIL operatives from the sea. Coast guard vessels are typically used for controlling drug smuggling or human trafficking, but now they’ve been equipped with heavy weaponry like Doshkas and that multi-Grad rocket launcher. They are also equipped with a 106 millimeter rocket launcher and backup ammunition supplies.