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Female suicide bomber uses 3 children as decoy then blows herself up in new low for Islamic State

It's now feared that more civilian women are being brainwashed, forced or cajoled into killing themselves for IS as fighting intensifies for the stronghold of Sirte in Libya

IS uses female suicide bombers in Libya

A female suicide bomber used three children as a decoy to blow herself up in new low for Islamic State.

It's now feared that more civilian women - in Libya at least - are being brainwashed, forced or cajoled into killing themselves for IS terrorists as fighting intensifies.

Libyan forces, backed by US air strikes, are close to taking full control of the former Islamic State stronghold of Sirte after a campaign lasting more than six months.

But they have had difficulty dislodging terrorists from a final patch of land near the city's Mediterranean sea front - partly because of concerns about families or captives being held hostage.

During a pause in fighting on Friday, Reuters journalists saw one woman escorting three young children through an alleyway toward waiting Libyan forces.

The Libya Herald reported that the children were hungry and malnourished - which might explain why they were allowed 'safe passage'.

Shortly after the children were driven away in an ambulance there was a blast as the woman detonated explosives, wounding about a dozen people.

The Herald claimed that in fact there were two women involved in the incident - masquerading as civilians surrendering to Bunyan Marsous forces - and that four soldiers had been killed as well as the dozen injured.

It reported that this incident follows the flight of other women from IS positions in recent days - in response to loudhailer calls for civilians to escape while they could.

Rida Issa, a spokesman for the Libyan forces, said two similar incidents, which he said were suicide attacks, had taken place as other women and children were leaving Islamic State-held ground.

Four members of the Libyan forces had been killed and 38 wounded, Issa said.

Women are being used as suicide bombers (stock image) (Photo: Getty Images)

Earlier this week there was a lull in the fighting in Sirte before Libyan forces resumed a heavy artillery assault on Islamic State positions on Thursday.

US air strikes have continued, but Islamic State has largely held its ground and even retook control of one row of buildings that had been mostly demolished in previous fighting.