The Libyan PM announced on late Thursday that a leader of the Islamic State (IS) group, who is believed to have orchestrated and financed three lethal attacks in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, in 2018, has been apprehended.
“Our forces apprehended on Tuesday a leader of the terrorist organisation Daesh, involved in the planning and command of terrorist acts that targeted the institutions of our country and their fallen officials,” Abdelhamid Dbeibah, head of the United Nations-supported Libyan government, said during a live television broadcast, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
The government’s media office provided no additional information regarding the identity or nationality of the suspected jihadist. The arrest took place during a collaborative military operation.
Dbeibah also reaffirmed his government’s dedication to combatting terrorism in all its manifestations, pursuing legal action against those engaged in terrorist activities, and enhancing overall stability across the nation.
On May 2, 2018, a suicide attack targeted the headquarters of the Libyan High Electoral Commission in Tripoli, resulting in the death of 14 individuals. The attack was subsequently claimed by IS.
On September 10, 2018, a suicide attack executed by the militant group targeted the headquarters of the Libyan National Oil Company in the capital, leading to the deaths of two individuals and injuries to 10 company employees.
On December 25, 2018, an IS attack against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including a Libyan diplomat.
Capitalizing on the breakdown of Libya’s security structure since the downfall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, IS has conducted multiple lethal assaults throughout the nation.
The group has also established bases in the eastern and northern towns of Derna and Sirte, which it was dislodged from in 2018 and 2016 respectively.