Libya Rebels Claim ‘Final Decisive Attack’ on Sirte Soon

Civilians Pour Out of the City as Attacks Continue

Libya’s rebel forces have been attacking the city of Sirte, the hometown of Moammar Gadhafi, for weeks despite predicting that it would fall in a matter of hours. Not to worry though, that will soon be over.

That’s because the rebel forces announced that they’re about to launch the “final decisive attack” that will conquer the starving city, much like several other offensives were supposed to.

The humanitarian situation in Sirte is continuing to worsen all the while, with fleeing civilians reporting that the city is virtually out of both food and water, and the wounded from the constant shelling dying at an alarming rate as hospitals run out of medicine.

NATO has been involved in the attacks on Sirte as well, pounding the city from the air while the rebels shell it from the ground. Despite some speculation to that effect, most officials agree it is extremely unlikely that Gadhafi is actually in Sirte.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.