The building where Muammar Gaddafi once received guests from all over the world is now painted black, with the Islamic State flag flying above it.
The city of Sirte, the birthplace of the murdered Libyan leader, has become the largest stronghold of jihadists in the Mediterranean, and was visited by journalists from the British Telegraph.
"When the jihadists came here, there were very few of them. After that, local residents joined them. They think that in this way they will win power in Libya, after the death of Gaddafi", says one of the citizens of Sirte, Milad.
The Ouagadougou media center, where Gaddafi received world leaders, is now the command headquarters of the Islamic State, the facade is riddled, and there are snipers on the roofs.
"They will not shoot, they are afraid of us", said the commander of the paramilitary formation "Libyan Dawn", who escorted the journalists through Sirte.
The city in which Gaddafi invested millions of dollars has been left to complete destruction since 2011, both in the civil war and in the NATO intervention, ending with the chaos that arose after the overthrow of Gaddafi.
The final stage of the destruction of Sirte came two months ago, when the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ordered the invasion and conquest of the city.
"I believe that all of Sirte, or at least what is left, is still with Gaddafi. After the war, citizens tried to distance themselves from the "new" Libya. They kept their heads down and wanted to live a normal life. "Among themselves, they call those who rule Libya rats," said Milad.
The government that took command of Libya failed to suppress the paramilitary formations, so Ansar al-Sharia managed to conquer Sirte.
"They were not aggressive when they arrived in the city. They taught people their ideology. They won the hearts of the people, with charity work, giving money and food to the poor," said Muhamed Lahal, commander of operations of the 166th Brigade of the Libyan Dawn.
However, last August the government resulting from the revolution was split between rival militias, and the internationally recognized government fled to Tobruk, while everything was almost fine in Sirte under Ansar rule.
"That organization was mainly made up of people from Sirte. They didn't kill anyone. They supported the local tribes," says Milad.
"They were not aggressive when they arrived in the city. They taught people their ideology. They won the hearts of the people, with charity work, giving money and food to the poor"
Nevertheless, with Baghdadi's decision, members of the Islamic State began to arrive in Sirte, from all sides, and the target was foreign citizens.
"They immediately killed a doctor from Egypt and his wife. Only later was the body of their 17-year-old daughter found," explains Lahal.
Just a few days later, jihadists paraded through the central streets of Sirte, and the proclamation of the caliphate was announced from the minarets of local mosques. Ansar fighters also joined the Islamic State at that time.
"When the IS arrived in Sirte, it was not that strong. Then they told the people who fought against Gaddafi that they could join IS. "There are still people in Sirte who have become jihadists and who were against Gaddafi, and I recognize them," Lahal points out.
According to police officer Muhammad Ezadma, most of those who supported Gaddafi also approached the Islamic State, in order to ensure their safety. Soon, the jihadists in Sirte began to strictly apply Sharia law.
"They entered the schools and ordered that boys and girls should not study together. "They went to cafes where smoking was allowed and closed them," says Milad.
As the Islamic State expands its influence in Libya, Western diplomats believe that members of the "Libyan Dawn" are capable of driving out the jihadists.
However, the spokesman for "Libjska zora" states that the international community is crazy.
“There is no IS in Libya. "The crazy international community says it's IS, but you know, it's just Gaddafi's subjects trying to regain power," said Jamal Zubija.
Unlike him, the representative of "Libyan Dawn" in the peace group under the auspices of the UN, Fati Bashaga, states that IS can be defeated only if a unified government is created that will stabilize Libya.
While waiting for the reaction of one, another or a third party, the Islamic State has reached 300 kilometers from the Italian border, from which it is separated "only" by the Mediterranean Sea.
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