Eastern Libyan forces say they killed Daesh leader
Eastern Libyan forces said on Wednesday they killed
the leader of Daesh in North Africa during a raid in the southern desert city
of Sebha earlier this month.
The Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Ahmed
Al-Masmari said Abu Moaz Al-Iraqi was among nine militants killed during the
raid but was only identified afterwards.
Daesh in Libya was formed by Al-Qaeda militants who
took advantage of the chaos after the 2011 uprising against Muammar Qaddafi to
seize territory and launch attacks.
The group took control of the central coastal city
of Sirte in early 2015 and established a presence in the vast southern desert
as well as active affiliates or cells in major cities.
However, it was driven from Sirte in late 2016 and
its influence since then has been limited to occasional attacks including one
on National Oil Corporation’s headquarters in 2018 and another at the Foreign
Ministry in 2019, both in Tripoli.
Masmari said Abu Moaz Al-Iraqi, also known as Abu
Abdullah Al-Iraqi, had entered Libya in 2014 and became the group’s leader in
2015 when his predecessor was killed.
Daesh’s global threat has reduced in recent years
after its self-proclaimed “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria was militarily defeated
and much of its leadership killed. However, it remains capable of inspiring
attacks around the world, security experts say.
The LNA controls eastern and much of southern Libya
and has for years been in conflict with the Government of National Accord (GNA)
in Tripoli.
