Egypt Strikes ISIS in Libya

The Egyptian military conducted airstrikes in Libya after an Islamic State affiliate in that country released a video showing the execution of more than 20 Egyptian Christians.

The New York Times reports that the attacks were focused around the town of Derna, in the east of Libya. The Egyptian government said they struck a number of training camps and arms caches, but was otherwise tight lipped about the operation.

The strikes took place at dawn and just hours after Libya's Tripolitania Province of the Islamic State released the execution video. It is widely suspected the 21 victims in the video were kidnapped near the Libyan town of Surt. The Tripolitania Province released imagery that showed they were in possession of the Surt kidnap victims.

These airstrikes are not the first foray by Egypt into Libya since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since the fall of Gaddafi, Libya has been a cauldron of civil conflict and war, with various militias and armed factions vying for control of the country. Egypt has hosted aircraft of the United Arab Emirates that have conducted airstrikes in support of Gen. Khalifa Haftar.

Haftar, along with a number of Libyan army units, are opposed to an Islamist government, and has sought to thwart the creation of such a government by fighting with the numerous militias aligned with various Islamist political movements.

It is unknown if the Egyptian strikes were retribution for the execution of the Christian hostages, or the part of a more direct, and involved campaign against Islamist militants in Libya.

The airstrikes were announced on Egyptian television in a manner similar to the now infamous propaganda videos of the Islamic State. The Times reports that Egyptian state television carried images of fighter jets with stirring and inspirational music, while celebrating the bravery of Egyptian soldiers and their willingness to die as martyrs.