Libya government calls for Arab airstrikes against IS

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

The statement was released on Saturday but so far no answers have yet come from the Arab States, although press reports said the Arab League would shortly convene a meeting to discuss the request.

The IS affiliate spread in Sirte in March, taking advantage of the chaos plaguing Libya since 2011.

Notably, on June 1, Libya’s Tripoli-based government also called for armed mobilization against Daesh’s activities in the North African nation.

In Sirte, a central city about 500 km (300 miles) east of the capital Tripoli, Islamic State fought with a rival Salafist Muslim group and armed residents who have been trying to expel it.

In February and April, videos were released showing IS militants in Libya killing two groups of mainly Egyptian and Ethiopian Christians. The governments want parties in Libya “to join efforts to combat the threat posed by transnational terrorist groups exploiting Libya for their own agenda”.

However, Algeria’s Foreign Ministry remains “certain” that Libyans will “take charge of the security challenge” and “preserve national unity, territorial integrity, Libya’s sovereignty and its community cohesion”. Pictures on social media, whose authenticity couldn’t be verified, confirmed two our bodies hanging from a gibbet.

Sunday saw another violent outburst when an unknown gunman opened fire, aiming at the airport in Benghazi, which was closed last year because of frequent clashes between opposing groups.

Fighting for control of the city, the hometown of slain leader Muammar Gaddafi began last week, seemingly after IS killed a prominent preacher in the town for speaking out against some of their policies.

Residents fled as Isis militants took over the area.