Amid continued confused multi-factional warfare in Libya, Islamist militias on Feb. 23 reportedly lost two major areas in the contested eastern city of Benghazi. Fighters loyal to anti-Islamist Gen Khalifa Haftar [8] are reported to have taken over the port, a hospital and have cut off a key weapons supply line. (BBC News [9]) Meanwhile, Libya Dawn militia forces loyal to the rebel government [10] that controls Tripoli were mobilized to the western town of Sabratha [10], after ISIS militants seized several key positions there, including the main hospital. (Libya Herald [11]) In England, the defense spokesman for the hard-right UK Independence Party (UKIP [12]) warned that Libya could be the "EU's Vietnam," citing a supposed leak of documents revealing plans to expand "Operation Sophia [13]" to put European "boots on the ground" in the North African country. (UKIP [14], Feb. 18)
