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By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 26 December 2015:
Sabratha Municipality Council (SMC) has strongly denied that IS is in ‘‘control’’ of its city.
The . . .[restrict]claim was made in a report by Libyan satellite TV channel 218 Channel in a report broadcast last Thursday 24 December. SMC called the report allegation that the city was controlled by IS a ‘‘lie’’.
The Council had previously put out a similar statement of denial on 12 December. There had also been reports and social media photographs purporting to show IS parading their trademark black flags in the city.
The Council also denied, in its latest statement put out yesterday, that IS was widely spread within the city, that it controls the police station, that it was carrying out operations within the city, such as blowing up the intelligence headquarters, that it is in control of the Tileel Youth Camp and that IS is using this camp to train 160 followers of whom 30 are Tunisians.
SMC attacked the channel for not providing any evidence as proof of their allegations.
The Council said that they were surprised by the false details in the report and requested that the channel reveals its sources. It also stated that it was awaiting an apology from the channel.
The Council further invited the channel to make use of its media office, as well as local media and journalists to validate its facts. It also warned that if such reports, harmful to its reputation, are continued, it might take legal action.
SMC repeated its previously announced invitation to all media of whatever political persuasion to visit the city and establish its state of security and to visit the locations alleged by the media outlets to be IS controlled sites. [/restrict]
