Two French men stopped on way to Islamic State in Libya

The situation in Libya in many ways resembles that of Iraq and Syria, where USA intervention toppled one strongman who served as a buffer against radical terrorism of the type engaged in by ISIS and al-Qaeda and has supported rebel factions attempting to overthrow another one.

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The report quoted information from several countries stating that IS has no more than 2 000 – 3 000 fighters in Libya. However, it is likely ISIS will experience many challenges and will come against strong al Qaeda forces.

The Wall Street Journal reports that ISIS leaders in Libya have reportedly adopted a slogan that reflects Sirte’s heightened profile within the jihadist organization: “Sirte will be no less than Raqqa”.

They said around 800 Libyans, who previously fought for Daesh in Syria and Iraq are now fighting for the Takfiri militant outfit in Libya, and Daesh chiefs continue to send emissaries from the Middle East to Libya with instructions.

“ISIL operations in Libya do not appear almost as lucrative as its operations” in Syria and Iraq, it added.

The Syria-based Islamic State group has expanded its reach in Africa, courting Islamist extremists from Nigeria to Somalia while establishing a major nerve center close to Europe, a top leader of U.S. Africa Command told VOA.

Before two French nationals were arrested in southern Tunisia earlier this month on their way to Libya, the report noted there were no cases of European individuals having left Europe directly to travel to join ISIL in Libya.

“Libya has a great importance because it is in Africa and south of Europe…it is also a gate to the African desert stretching to a number of African countries”, Qahtani said. One explanation offered was that the United Nations passed a resolution purporting to authorize military intervention to prevent civilians deaths perpetrated by the regime, but this was an uneconomical way to save lives, since tens of thousands of civilians were killed during the ensuing civil war – many by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and anti-Gadhafi rebel forces – in what experts have called war crimes.

But the report seemed to downplay fears that it was on the verge of a breakthrough in Libya. “In addition, Libya has no established domestic black market for smuggled crude, and the location of ISIL in Libya would make it hard to access potential markets in the region”, according to the report. “Furthermore, there is no evidence that ISIL has developed crude refining capability in Libya, including mobile refineries, as it managed to do in the Syrian Arab Republic, and it now does not control any of the five Libyan refineries”.