Terror threat

ISIS In Libya Poses The Real Danger To The West

ISIS has been eyeing the torn Libya for a while now, as both governments, busy getting at each other’s necks, are unable to stop it. In February 2015, Islamic State quickly captured Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte. Since then, it has controlled an almost 300-kilometer long strip of the Libyan coast. It is believed to have grown to a force of 6,000 men. Libya is especially important the ISIS as a strategic point. Should Syria and Iraq fall under pressure from the West, Libya could serve as safe haven.

The Islamists have informants and sleeper cells and they move freely along the south, spreading across the country under cover of deceptive peace. Each government, however, claims it has long been warning against ISIS infiltrating Libya and blames the other for failing to formulate a plan to stop it. And so the North African country has become a hub for European foreign fighters who are either unable or unwilling to travel to Iraq or Syria.