Sabrata becoming victim of Libya's outgoing gov't

The extradition of Libyan national, Abu Ajila Massoud al-Marimi, to the US has caused great controversy in Libyan circles.

The same issue has stirred up official and popular anger, especially at the position of the outgoing National Unity Government of Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.

This comes at a time the state of lawlessness continues, especially in the coastal city of Sabrata, which faces a return of ISIS and a proliferation of weapons and militias amid the absence of state authorities.

ISIS in Sabrata

Sabrata is a major target for ISIS which has sought to control the city as part of its plans to spread and expand in Libya.

In early December 2015, the terrorist group declared Sabrata an 'Islamic emirate'. ISIS also considered the city to be its capital in Libya.

Hours before this, Sabrata was the scene of a military parade, consisting of 30 armed vehicles, during which ISIS militants raised black flags.

In December of the same year, members of the group blew up the intelligence building in the city, which left two people injured.

Sabrata, which is part of the Tripoli province in the literature of ISIS, is a gathering point and training centre for ISIS leaders.

It is a launching pad for ISIS operations to other Libyan cities, including Libyan capital Tripoli.

The city is located halfway between Tripoli and the Tunisian border, serving as a strategic base for ISIS in Libya after the group's downfall in in Syria.

At the end of February 2016, about 200 ISIS terrorists took control of the city centre for hours, occupied the main police station, killed 12 policemen and checked the identification papers of people on the streets, looking for policemen and military personnel to kill them.

At the beginning of 2020, everybody was talking about the return of ISIS to the city under the cover of Tripoli militias which took control of the cities of the Libyan West, after the withdrawal of the Libyan National Army.

The militias stormed prisons and released many terrorists, including some of their commanders who were arrested earlier.

ISIS control over Sabrata means its control over gas, while its expansion further means its arrival in Tunisia and the implementation of major operations.

Most people remember the raid launched by the US in the area, which left 40 people dead, most of them Tunisians who planned to establish an emirate in Ben Gardane.