British Military Advisers ‘Discreetly’ Deployed To Libya

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British Military Advisers 'Discreetly' Deployed To Libya

A small number of UK military advisers are secretly operating in Libya along with US special troops.

The ‘low key’ operation is apparently to build an army to fight ISIS militants in the conflict-ravaged country.

Analysts with close connections to Western governments also revealed that “low level training” of rebels has recently taken place.

“Special forces commandos” are reportedly working with their “US counterparts” in the city of Misrata, northwestern Libya, the Telegraph reported on Saturday:

Even as diplomats in Washington, London and European capitals push for the formation of a unity government in Libya, US military operatives have begun “giving tactical training” to select local militias, Western officials, US congressional aides and sources on the ground have revealed.

The British government has refused to comment on whether it also has special forces soldiers on the ground in Libya, where David Cameron gave enthusiastic backing to the armed uprising five years ago that unseated Colonel Gaddafi.

But Western officials said a “small number” of British troops were present on a low-key mission, confirmed by sources in the city, who said they were “very much in the background”.

Western efforts in Libya have publicly centered on finding a political solution to the country’s civil war that would unite rival factions under a single national governing structure.

But as the peace talks stall, with hardliners from rival political factions sabotaging the voting process to enact the new national sovereign leadership, Western powers are struggling to find a viable solution for tackling Isil. Some reports say the terror group now has anything up to 5,000 fighters in Col Gaddafi’s home city of Sirte on the Mediterranean coast.

The UK is not the only country said to be operating in Libya. Last week, it was revealed that French special forces and commandos were also engaged in covert operations there.

The new deployment also commitment by the UK to send 1,000 British troops. Approximately 6,000 European and US soldiers will be involved in a number of offensives set up to halt the advance of ISIS.

An operation, supported mainly by Britain and France, is to be led by Italian forces and is planned within the next few weeks or months.

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