Some of the worst fears about Libya are coming true. In an alarming development, the Islamic State group jihadists briefly occupied the heart of a Libyan city near Tripoli yesterday but were ousted by militia fighters. The clashes left 16 people dead and several injured. Interestingly, the seizure of the security headquarters and other buildings in Sabratha came days after a US air strike hit an IS training camp near the western city, killing dozens, probably including a senior IS operative.
Yesterday’s attack wasn’t a stray case as the IS has been steadily expanding its foothold in the North African country, exploiting a security and power vacuum after the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi, causing huge international concern. Last June, the IS seized the coastal city of Sirte, east of Tripoli, raising fears then that it was establishing a new stronghold on Europe’s doorstep. In the absence of a central government in the country, with militias controlling various provinces and vying for power, militants have found it easy to set up their base and expand with the huge financial resources at their disposal. The presence of IS in Libya poses a huge threat to Europe due to the proximity of the country to the continent.
The attack on Sabratha was probably in reprisal for the Western operation against the IS in Libya. The US, British and French forces are in the country fighting the terrorists and 41 IS fighters were killed in the US bombing raid a few days ago, dealing a heavy blow to the terrorist group.
Destroying the jihadist network in Libya will not be easy given the current chaos in the country and the international community will need a multi-pronged strategy that should involve, among other things, the installation of a federal government in Tripoli which has control over the entire country. A political solution is a must for the elimination of terrorists.
Airstrikes can shock the militants, but the allied forces would need the support of ground troops to achieve their objective. Unfortunately, the Western forces don’t have a partner on the ground. The support of militias can be sought in the fight, but that would amount to giving these militias the legitimacy they are seeking.
Libya has become a strategic territory to terrorists due to a slew of factors. Isis fighters are arriving from Tunisia and the sub-Saharan Africa, mingling with thousands of migrants crossing the Sahara on their way to Europe. “Isis is creating a real African jihadist army, we can see mass arrivals of jihadis, they are impossible to control for the simple reason that they use the same route as migrants,” said Paris-based terrorism expert David Thomson.
Some of the worst fears about Libya are coming true. In an alarming development, the Islamic State group jihadists briefly occupied the heart of a Libyan city near Tripoli yesterday but were ousted by militia fighters. The clashes left 16 people dead and several injured. Interestingly, the seizure of the security headquarters and other buildings in Sabratha came days after a US air strike hit an IS training camp near the western city, killing dozens, probably including a senior IS operative.
Yesterday’s attack wasn’t a stray case as the IS has been steadily expanding its foothold in the North African country, exploiting a security and power vacuum after the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi, causing huge international concern. Last June, the IS seized the coastal city of Sirte, east of Tripoli, raising fears then that it was establishing a new stronghold on Europe’s doorstep. In the absence of a central government in the country, with militias controlling various provinces and vying for power, militants have found it easy to set up their base and expand with the huge financial resources at their disposal. The presence of IS in Libya poses a huge threat to Europe due to the proximity of the country to the continent.
The attack on Sabratha was probably in reprisal for the Western operation against the IS in Libya. The US, British and French forces are in the country fighting the terrorists and 41 IS fighters were killed in the US bombing raid a few days ago, dealing a heavy blow to the terrorist group.
Destroying the jihadist network in Libya will not be easy given the current chaos in the country and the international community will need a multi-pronged strategy that should involve, among other things, the installation of a federal government in Tripoli which has control over the entire country. A political solution is a must for the elimination of terrorists.
Airstrikes can shock the militants, but the allied forces would need the support of ground troops to achieve their objective. Unfortunately, the Western forces don’t have a partner on the ground. The support of militias can be sought in the fight, but that would amount to giving these militias the legitimacy they are seeking.
Libya has become a strategic territory to terrorists due to a slew of factors. Isis fighters are arriving from Tunisia and the sub-Saharan Africa, mingling with thousands of migrants crossing the Sahara on their way to Europe. “Isis is creating a real African jihadist army, we can see mass arrivals of jihadis, they are impossible to control for the simple reason that they use the same route as migrants,” said Paris-based terrorism expert David Thomson.
