Libyan forces free 13 foreign ISIS captives

Libyan fighters announced Saturday they have freed 13 foreign captives held by the Islamic State — 11 from Eritrea and one each from Turkey and Egypt — in the seaside city of Sirte, which has long been the center of ISIS activity in Libya.

The pro-government Libyan forces have been fighting to take Sirte for six months with the assistance of American air strikes. Libya's fate will not be determined even if ISIS is eradicated in the North African country, as a diversity of rival factions will still compete for power in the vacuum left by the removal of strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

In the meantime, Libya remains a departure point for thousands of migrants fleeing violence for the refuge of Europe. On Friday and Saturday, rescue workers based out of Italy saved more than 3,300 migrants off the coast of Libya, many attempting to make the Mediterranean crossing in flimsy rubber boats. An unknown number of migrants also drowned.

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