Prosecutor: ISIS set up Libyan desert army after losing Sirte
None
TRIPOLI - Islamic State militants in Libya set up a desert army composed of at least three brigades after the lost their stronghold of Sirte last year, a senior prosecutor said on Thursday.
Hundreds of militants are believed to have escaped from Sirte before or during the seven-month campaign to oust the jihadist group from the coastal city, which it took control of in 2015.
Sheltering in desert camps, fugitive militants have become emboldened in recent weeks, occasionally setting up checkpoints on roads to the south and east of Sirte and claiming two deadly attacks against local forces.
The United States, which provided air support for the Sirte campaign, has conducted two sets of air strikes targeting the camps - one in January, the other last week.
