The government offensive on Sirte began on May 12 in an attempt to retake the "Islamic State" (IS) group's main stronghold in Libya. The operation, "Solid Structure," is being led by the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and backed by US airstrikes.

After Libyan forces seized locations all around the coastal city, clashes turned into a door-to-door war. IS fighters are currently surrounded in two districts in downtown Sirte, which are also being targeted by Libyan navy vessels. Officials have denied there are foreign boots on the ground. "Only Libyans are fighting on the ground," Mohammed Al-Ghasri, an army spokesman, told DW.

While US airstrikes are playing a major role in the offensive, these Russian-made tanks have turned into an indispensable weapon against snipers' positions, car bombs as well as Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) which litter downtown Sirte.

Libyan fighters claim that it's impossible to take IS prisoners. According to Libyan forces, many of them wear explosive vests and prefer to die in combat than being captured alive. Over 400 Libyan fighters have died in Sirte since the operation began in May. The enemy has not disclosed their number of casualties.

Although a majority of the Libyan forces deployed in Sirte are from Misrata - 230 kilometers west of Sirte - there are also fighters from other regions in Libya. The strength of IS has triggered concerns in a country which has three governments - one in the east, one in the west and the UN-backed executive - each relying on their own armed groups.

Doctors in Sirte work as volunteers in exhausting shifts to cope with the influx of wounded fighters. Ambulances and improvised hospitals like this one are also recurrent targets for IS snipers and car bombs.

Doctors on the ground say they have seen several fighters who have been shot in the throat. "Some patients have recovered from chest shots, or even head shots, so snipers are seemingly aiming at their throats. If they survive they'll be quadriplegic, meaning that they'll never be able to fight again," Doctor Mustafa Shorfu told DW from Sirte's main hospital.

The most seriously injured are transferred daily by air to Misrata. Senior officials on the ground told DW that combat operations in Sirte were mostly suspended this week due to the high number of injured treated at Misrata's hospital. Booby-trap devices in areas formerly under IS control are reportedly causing huge loses among the fighters.

There is no telephone network in Sirte so during the rare lulls in fighting, fighters from neighboring areas such as Misrata choose to go home to visit their families. The ones who stay have to live with a lack of any modern amenities amid the debris of the battle.

Libyan fighters on the ground are convinced they will soon retake full control of Sirte. "We think there are no more than 50 of them [IS fighters - the ed.] left inside the area under their control so we may liberate the city in the forthcoming days," Omar Zidani, a fighter from Misrata, told DW.