The Southern Libyan Desert Army … Daesh affiliated group

By: Mustafa Hamza

Daesh in southern Libya set up a desert army, after the terrorist organization lost their stronghold of Sirte- in north Libya – from the organization.

Sirte was served as the capital of Daesh. Many Daesh fighters are believed to have escaped from the city to re-form themselves again, by the end of 2016.

In September 2017, Sadiq Al-Sour, head of investigations for the Attorney General’s office, said that the new desert army composed of three brigades of escaped Daesh militants.

Daesh had established the “desert army” led by Libyan militant Al-Mahdi Salem Dangou, also known as Abu Barakat, Sour added. The force includes three brigades operating under Dangou, each with its own commander.

In March 2018, Sour reaffirm the seriousness of the Desert Army, explaining that the new army had resumed activity in some desert areas in southern Libyan and southern Sirte.

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 strategy of “Daesh” depends on select areas have number of elements.

Abu Bakr al-Naji in his book “management of barbarism” mentioned these elements which include: “the existence of geographical depth allows establishing areas managed by the management system of barbarism”.

The desert in south Libya, one of those areas, allows for hiding of terrorist elements and places for training camps.

There are tensions and bloody confrontations between the military forces loyal to the national reconciliation government in Tripoli, and other loyal to the Libyan army Led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, with the participation of African tribes and militias in the south of Libya, especially the city of “Sabha” to carry out its activities in the field of smuggling.