TRIPOLI, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj announced on Wednesday establishment of a body for reconstruction and development of the city of Sirte.
Serraj made the announcement during a visit to Sirte which aimed to oversee the urgent needs of the city, according to a statement issued by the prime minister's information office.
"Serraj pointed out that the government has a strategic vision for reconstruction, which it has not yet been able to translate to reality, considering the financial and economic aspects of the Libyan crisis," the statement said.
"Today, we desperately need national unity to fight together a battle as important as the battle against terrorism: the battle of reconstruction of cities and areas affected by war and armed confrontations," Serraj said.
In December 2015, forces allied with the UN-backed Libyan government defeated the Islamic State (IS) affiliates and expelled them from Sirte, some 450 km east to the capital Tripoli. The remnant IS fighters fled to the southern valleys and mountainous areas.
Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Libya has been suffering escalating violence and chaos, as well as political division.
