The United Nations mission in Libya warned on Tuesday of the return of the ISIS terrorist group to the war-torn North African country.
The UN called on political parties in Libya to resolve their differences in order to block attempts by ISIS to take root in the country.
The mission was meeting to condemned a terrorist bombing on Sunday that targeted a police station in al-Qanan, 18km south of Ajdabiya. A woman was killed and five other civilians were wounded in the attack that was claimed by ISIS.
The UN voiced its concern over the rising number of terrorist attacks in Libya, noting that this was the fourth assault in the region in a month to be claimed by the group.
MP Omar Gaith Qarmil said that despite the army’s efforts in combating ISIS cells, they still remain a threat to not only Libya, but the whole region.
He therefore underscored the need to double efforts and coordination between countries to thwart and defeat the terrorist threat.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the security chaos in Libya, fragmented security forces and lack of centralized government have created a suitable environment for the spread of terrorism.
ISIS had claimed a May 22 attack in Ajdabiya.
Prime Minister of the National Accord Government Fayez al-Sarraj had in November announced that the northern city of Sirte was rid of the ISIS group during an operation that was a “culmination of the Libyan people’s will to defeat terror.”
He added, however, that the battle for Sirte may have been over, but the fight against terrorism was not.
Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar had also announced in 2017 that the northern city of Benghazi was liberated of terrorists.
He had recently launched a campaign in the eastern city of Derna to rid it of the last remaining terrorist pockets.
