And they appear to be showing it too. The terror group has been carrying out arrests and executions in the town, The Telegraph reports. Black-clad 'religious police' has also been carrying out public floggings to keep the population in a perpetual state of fear. According to The Telegraph, reports indicate the marksman is locally-trained and probably became who he (or she) is today during the uprising against the late President Moammar Gaddafi.
Besides executing residents, #IS are now also organising seminars at "Ouagadougou complex" in #Sirte #Libya pic.twitter.com/lye0zozLLC
— Nadia Ramadan (@NadiaR_LY) January 26, 2016
The other two kills were military higher-ups. A witness told the news website Al-Wasat that IS are currently in "a state of terror... They randomly shot in the air to scare inhabitants, while searching for the sniper." Perhaps the bigger sense of mystery comes from the fact that very little information is available about the besieged city. This has people everywhere discussing the sniper's possible identity (if he indeed works alone).
Some have even speculated that the sniper is an American special forces soldier. There were reports of them in the area, carrying out secret missions. There is always a possibility, though, that these are all unrelated kills, or rather, that there is no hero working to liberate Sirte's people. Reporter Daniele Raineri, who remembered a similar assassination in July to the ones happening now, has entertained the possibility that the connections are all "wild rumors."
I wonder if the irony of them being terrorized and not enjoying it lost on them. Somewhat ironic that terrorists complaining about being terrorized.