On Saturday, the United States (US) Special Envoy to Libya, Richard Norland denounced the terrorist attack carried out by Islamic State (IS) militants in southern Libya killing three security personnel.
In a statement, Norland said, “we condemn the recent terrorist attack in the South and express our condolences to the families of the victims and those killed in the fighting.”
He added that, “the US supports efforts to safeguard Libya’s sovereignty by combatting terrorism, improving security in the South and border region, and unifying the country’s military forces.”
On Thursday, the Libyan Interior Ministry announced that three security personnel and four IS militants were killed during violent clashes in the Jabal Asida area near the town of Qatrun in Southwest Libya.
The Ministry confirmed that its security patrols managed to kill four IS militants and destroy their vehicles. It noted that efforts will continue to ensure the complete elimination of all IS remnants and tighten security in the southern region.
It added that the IS-affiliated group that appeared in the Southwest of the country seeks to destabilize security and intimidate unarmed residents, stressing that it is working tirelessly to combat terrorism in all its forms.
The Ministry also offered its sincere condolences to the families of the security personnel. It confirmed that maintaining Libya’s security and stability is a national responsibility, and it will not tolerate, under any circumstances, any malicious attempts that seek to tamper with the security and stability of the country.
Major General Khaled Al-Mahjoub, Director of the Libyan National Army (LNA)’s Moral Guidance Department announced the end of military operations near the Al-Qatroun area in southern Libya.
He added that 19 ISIS militants, four of whom blew themselves up, were killed during the clashes against the LNA forces.