"Commanders of front line units have counted at least corpses of militants killed as they tried in vain to attack behind the lines" of the loyalists, said the media office of forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA).

According to AFP report the bodies of another 25 'extremists' were found in alleyways of the battleground coastal city.

The pro-GNA forces, who reported eight soldiers killed and 57 wounded Sunday, said vehicles, arms and ammunition were seized in the latest round of an assault launched on May 12 and executed in phases to recapture Sirte from ISIL.

ISIL claimed on Twitter that it had killed or wounded 64 members of the pro-GNA forces.

On Saturday, GNA aircraft conducted six sorties in preparation for an advance on the militants' hideout in the city's east, said the GNA statement.

American aircraft have also carried out some 177 airstrikes since early August in support of GNA forces, according to US Africa Command (AFRICOM).

The fighting has left more than 450 GNA fighters dead and 2,500 wounded. The ISIL death toll is not known.

An ISIL defeat in Sirte would be a serious blow to the group, which has faced major setbacks in Iraq and Syria in recent months.

Libya was plunged into chaos following the NATO-backed ouster of Ghadaffi in 2011, and the control of the country, as well as access to its vital oil wealth,  is divided between rival governments and militants.

The GNA was formed following a UN-backed deal in December 2015, but it has struggled to impose its power across a country.

SA-12