Revealed: The jihadis who are cutting off their beards posing as migrants and slipping on to refugee boats bound for Italy
- Hundreds of terrorists are on their way to Europe after posing as migrants
- IS fighters are shaving off their beards in a bid to blend in with refugees
- They board boats for Italy and other vessels across the Mediterranean
Hundreds
of fanatical Islamic State terrorists are on their way to Europe posing
as migrants after being driven out of their Libyan stronghold by
British-backed forces, The Mail on Sunday has learned.
As
the Libyan troops and jihadis fought a running battle in the port city
of Sirte yesterday, we uncovered disturbing evidence that IS fighters
are fleeing the onslaught and shaving off their beards and hair to blend
in with refugees on their exodus across the Mediterranean.
Last
night, the Libyan Brigades, secretly supported by elite troops from the
British Special Boat Service, told me they were days away from
regaining Sirte, which has been in IS hands for 18 months.
The
jihadis briefly regained control of the city's port area yesterday
after a fierce firefight with naval vessels – while other Libyan troops
advanced into the city centre, coming under sniper fire.
Fanatical Islamic State terrorists
have been cutting their hair and trimming their beards to pose as
migrants before boarding boats to Europe
Libyan
officer Colonel Mohamed El-Gasri told me: 'We have taken casualties but
so have the militants. We need to secure the port to prevent any escape
by sea.'
He
said intelligence gleaned with the help of British and US Special
Forces showed that families holed up in their homes may be supporting
and harbouring IS.
'Sirte
was Muammar Gaddafi's home town and there is still fierce allegiance to
him and opposition to our forces, who killed him,' he said. 'We have
been appealing for weeks for people to get out and, while tens of
thousands have left, there are others who chose to stay.
'This is not going to be easy, but we feel confident the city will be ours within days.'
In
recent weeks, while some jihadis escaped into the desert, coastguard
patrols have witnessed others heading for the people-smuggling route
further west to join the boats sailing for Sicily and Italy. We were
told how they had dramatically changed their appearance to slip in
unnoticed among refugees, and senior officers in the pro-government
Libyan Brigades showed us photographs of clean-shaven IS members
captured in Sirte.
In
a deserted school in the suburb of Wadi Jarif, more than 100 IS
fighters had been hiding during fierce fighting against the government
forces before making a hasty exit. On the bathroom floors and in
wash-basins, the evidence of their frantic deception was clear, in the
form of clumps of dark facial hair.
US Air Force orders cut-price $1,500 'smart rockets' to kill...
More and more Western jihadists who have joined ISIS are...
Col
El-Gasri told me: 'They have been cutting their long hair and shaving
their beards. We know they work closely with people-smugglers and are
joining the boats crossing the Mediterranean.'
IS
gunmen took control of Sirte – birthplace of former Libyan leader
Gaddafi – early last year, sending shockwaves through Europe, given the
city's proximity to Sicily, the Italian mainland and Malta. Ever since,
its citizens have endured the iron rule of the fanatics, with frequent
floggings and executions.
The
tide turned this spring when the Libyan Brigades, backed by the SBS and
other Western special forces, began to push back the militants. Now the
battle in Sirte appears to be entering its final days. The British
forces have a direct line to the commander of this current operation,
Bashir Al-Gardy.
He
told me: 'There are about 25 special forces here, British and American.
They have all the technology, the drones and the missiles, and they are
helping. I asked them this morning to locate a tank inside Sirte which
was hidden, and firing at my men. It's a good arrangement but we need a
lot more.'
He
said his men were so loyal that they once drove a truckload of jihadi
bodies to his office. He showed me pictures of the grisly haul, saying
fondly: 'Look what my men brought for me.'
The
Libyans say they are virtually powerless to stop the escaping jihadis
as their appeal for more help from Western governments in the shape of
equipment has fallen on deaf ears. Despite promises, the Libyans say
they have received no protective clothing, night-vision equipment or
specialist training.
A basin full of beard and head hair was found at a school near the city of Sirte, which was held by Isis until recently
While
David Cameron has announced training for coastguard patrol crews, and a
British warship is to be sent to Libyan waters once a UN Security
Council resolution is in place, no help has arrived for Libyan naval
forces in the Med.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment