In Iraq and Syria the Islamic State group (IS) exploited the resentment of local Sunni Arab populations who felt marginalised or persecuted by their governments. That enabled the group to establish a strong basis of local support in both countries, which largely accounts for the persistence of the IS’ presence there.

However, a very different dynamic has occurred in Libya, where local populations have mobilised to expel the extremists from some of the towns and cities that they have conquered. Such local insurrections occurred in Derna and Ajdabiya, and IS’ control of Sirte is not as firm as it may appear.

Saying that the IS has struggled in some instances to sustain its territorial control in Libya is not to dismiss that group’s potency: its mixture of foreign and local fighters has blended into an effective force that continues to commit attacks. Over the last week, IS’ reign of terror has prevailed.

As Libya Politics & Security reports, on 1 August the militants fought local forces in Ajdabiya. IS still holds the industrial areas of the town on Istanbul Street, near the city centre. Although the Abu Salim Martyrs Brigade (and other extremist allies in the Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna) forced IS gunmen to retreat from the mountain road south of the town, IS launched a counterattack during which 13 Shura Council fighters were killed. At the time of writing IS had failed to re-take the mountain road and had therefore been denied a vantage point from which they could shell the town.

IS also launched an attack on a checkpoint on the B11 highway – a familiar target – between Tobruk and Ajdabiya on 31 July. Seven members of the eastern government’s security forces were killed and 18 wounded.

IS’ kidnappings continue: a court of appeals lawyer in Khoms, the former head of the Security Directorate in Derna, and four Indian professors from the University of Sirte were all captured during the last week. The professors had remained in Sirte after the city fell to IS, hoping that the university would re-open. Eventually, they decided to return to India via Tunis, a 500km drive away. They were intercepted by IS, before two were released. It is unclear whether this was related to their religious background, but each professor was asked what his religion was before the two were released.

However, IS does seem to be facing difficulties again, this time in its stronghold of Sirte. On 31 July young Libyans attacked the Ghardabiya airbase (an IS stronghold and strategic prize), forcing the group to divert forces to surround the Abu Hadi neighbourhood, from where the youths originated.

Local resentment against IS also increased following protests in Sirte. In an attempt to disperse the protestors, IS fired on a group of them. However, it is not clear whether, if they were to rise up against their IS occupiers, the Sirte population would be able to expel IS completely, as Derna residents did last month.