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Libyan IS affiliates take over Sirte's airport

Xinhua, May 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Islamic State (IS) affiliated militants took over Gardabiya civil air base in the northern coastal city Sirte after local militias retreated from the site, a militia spokesperson said on Friday.

"Gardabiya Air Base in Sirte city has fallen to the hands of IS," Mohamed Al-Shami, spokesperson for the Sirte's 166 Battalion, said.

Al-Shami added the militias had to retreat late on Thursday in order to relocate to other areas near the city. "After that IS militants entered the base which was evacuated completely. The airport has nothing but an nonfunctioning and unrepairable warplane."

Gardabiya is the first airport controlled by IS militants since they took over most of Sirte in February.

Some army sources said the extremist group also took over a canal near the city, part of a mega water project under Muammar Gaddafi era.

Libya has been suffering an increasing violence ever since the fall of Gaddafi regime in 2011. The North African country is plagued with continuous fighting and clashes between rival armed factions. Some extremist groups like IS and Ansar al-Sharia has been taking the chance to expand filling the security vacuum. Endit