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| Islamic State militants in Libya 'seize Sirte airport' | Islamic State militants in Libya 'seize Sirte airport' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Islamic State militants in Libya say they have seized the airport in the city of Sirte, as the group continues to make advances in the country. | |
| The news was announced by the group and by a Libyan militia that withdrew from the coastal city's airport on Thursday. | |
| Most of Sirte, former leader Muammar Gaddafi's hometown, fell to IS last week. | Most of Sirte, former leader Muammar Gaddafi's hometown, fell to IS last week. |
| In a statement, the group said it had also seized the Great Man Made River water project. | |
| The irrigation project, the world's largest, supplies fresh water to Libyan cities and was also the base for the opposition Battalion 166, which has now fled. | The irrigation project, the world's largest, supplies fresh water to Libyan cities and was also the base for the opposition Battalion 166, which has now fled. |
| The battalion, and other Islamist militias, run the capital, Tripoli, although their government is not recognised by the international community. | The battalion, and other Islamist militias, run the capital, Tripoli, although their government is not recognised by the international community. |
| The airport also housed an airbase, that was seized by militias after being bombed by Nato forces during the battle to oust Gaddafi in 2011. | |
| Since the former leader's death in Sirte in October that year, Libya has descended into chaos, with various militias fighting for power. The internationally-recognised government has been forced to leave Tripoli. | |
| In the last seven months, IS has set up checkpoints and established a presence in cities across Libya, starting with the port of Derna - the first city outside Iraq and Syria to fall to the militant group. | |
| In January, an IS-affiliated group bombed the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli, killing 10 people. | |
| In February and April, videos were released showing IS militants in Libya killing two groups of mainly Egyptian and Ethiopian Christians. | |
| Air strikes against IS positions have been conducted by the Egyptian air force and by Libya's internationally-recognised government. |