IS claim attacks in Libya

Islamic State fighters claim three attacks targeting Libyan National Army forces in the vicinity of Sabah, announcing it a part of “Battle of Attrition” military campaign. According to the Intelligence group SITE this claim is a first one since June 2019, adding that Sabha area is a past “hot spot” of Islamic State jihad operations.

#ISIS claims 3 attacks in #Libya targeting LNA forces in the vicinity of #Sabha as part of its "Battle of Attrition" military campaign. These marked the group's first claims in the country since Jun. 2019. The Sabha area is a past hot spot of IS ops.https://t.co/cENtQXN12a

— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) May 21, 2020

Attrition warfare represents an attempt to grind down an opponent and its superior numbers, however when attritional methods have worn down the enemy sufficiently to make other methods feasible, attritional actions are abandoned in favor of other strategies.

In recent weeks, #Haftar’s forces lost almost all the coastline between Tripoli and the Tunisian border. Their blockade on the capital is nearly broken. The councils in Sabha, Murzuk, Ghat, Ubari rejected Haftar’s coup attempt and pledged allegiance to the government of #Libya. pic.twitter.com/NpKWbx3X9u

— Turkish Politics 🇹🇷 (@TurkishPolitics) May 14, 2020

The inhabitants of Sabah have rejected the authority of the expired mandate Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and allied with Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar.

https://twitter.com/alghaza22254088/status/1257427074710736896?s=21

Image: illustration