US: ’ISIS’ Forces Rising in Libya, Dropping in Iraq, Syria
Local Editor
Libya has seen an influx of "ISIS" extremists in recent months, while the number of extremists in Iraq and Syria has dropped by several thousand, a US military official said Thursday.
About 5,000 "ISIS" militants are now in Libya, the official said, up from earlier estimates of between 2,000 and 3,000.
The official added the United States now believes there to be between 19,000 and 25,000 "ISIS" militants in Iraq and Syria, down from a previous count of between 20,000 to 33,000.
The release of the updated fighter tallies comes as the administration of President Barack Obama faces growing calls for the US military to step up actions against the "ISIS" group in Libya.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said "ISIS" fighters had seen their ranks thinned in Iraq and Syria by the ongoing US-led coalition air campaign, while tightened travel restrictions have also had an impact.
It's a "combination of battlefield deaths, desertions, internal disciplinary actions, recruiting shortfalls and difficulties that foreign fighters face traveling into Syria," the official said.
In Libya, "ISIS" extremists already control the Mediterranean city of Sirte, the birthplace of former leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Libya has been in chaos since the NATO-backed ouster of the longtime dictator in 2011.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
