February 2015 Egyptian airstrikes in Libya
The February 2015 Egyptian airstrikes in Libya against Islamic State positions in Libya took place on 16 February 2015, and were triggered by a video released by ISIL in Libya a day earlier, depicting the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt. Within hours, the Egyptian Air Force responded with airstrikes against ISIL training camps and weapons stockpiles[10] in retaliation for the killings.[11] Warplanes acting under orders from the Libyan government also struck targets in Derna, reportedly in coordination with Egypt.[1]
The air strikes had allegedly killed up to 64 ISIL militants, including three of the leadership, in the coastal cities of Derna and Sirte. Libyan media reported that at least 35 more Egyptians had been rounded up by ISIL in retaliation for the air raids.
As the airstrikes took place, Egypt's Foreign Ministry called on the US-led coalition striking Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant targets in Syria and Iraq to broaden its scope to North Africa and take action against the extremist group in Libya.[10]
Aftermath[edit]
Abduction of Egyptians[edit]
Local media reports from Libya, which emerged the day the airstrikes were conducted, claimed that 35 more Egyptians, mainly farm workers, have been kidnapped in areas controlled by groups such as Ansar al-Sharia and ISIL.[36] Libya Herald reported that seven Egyptians initially went missing, but that the number later rose to thirty-five.[37]
On 20 February, three Egyptian engineers working for a French company in Libya have been kidnapped on their way to Sabha in the southeast. Egypt's foreign ministry later confirmed the abduction and said that it contacted Libyan authorities to identify the group behind the incident.[38][39]
Reactions[edit]
French president François Hollande and Egypt's Sisi called for a United Nations Security Council meeting following the airstrikes to discuss the situation in Libya and seek out new security measures against ISIL.[44] Sisi later called for a United Nations resolution allowing for an international intervention in Libya. "There is no other choice, taking into account the agreement of the Libyan people and government and that they call on us to act", he said.[45] However, the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States issued a joint statement calling for a political resolution to the conflict in Libya.[46] Jen Psaki, the US State Department spokeswoman, said in a statement: "We certainly respect the right of countries to make their own decisions about their own self-defence and defence of their own country".[47] However, the Obama administration declined to openly support Egypt's airstrikes.[48] Russia's president Vladimir Putin expressed in a letter to Sisi his country's "readiness for closest cooperation possible in the fight against all aspects of the terrorism threat".
The Arab League supported Egypt's bombing of Libya, expressing its "full understanding" of the Egyptian government's position. The body also called for the lifting of an arms embargo on the Libyan national military, which was imposed by the United Nations and the European Union in 2011, during an emergency meeting in Cairo.[49] However, a diplomatic row evolved between Egypt and Qatar over the airstrikes. During the Arab League meeting, a Qatari foreign ministry official expressed his government's reservations over unilateral military action by Egypt, adding that this could "give an advantage to one side in Libya's conflict". The tensions culminated with Qatar recalling its ambassador from Cairo for "consultations", and Egypt's envoy to the Arab League, Tareq Adel, accusing Qatar of "supporting terrorism".[50][51] Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), allegedly came in Qatar's defense and criticized Egypt's labeling of Qatar as a terrorism sponsor. He described the Egyptian diplomat's remarks as "a false accusation that defies the truth and ignores the sincere efforts that Qatar exerts to fight terrorism and extremism at all levels".[52] Hours later, however, Zayani denied releasing such a statement, which was later removed from the GCC's website, and reiterated his support for the Egyptian government. Bahrain's state media reported that the "false statement attributed to Al Zayani" was due to Qatar's control over the website.[50][53]