Egypt launches second day of Libyan air strikes after attack on Christians

CAIRO: Egypt launched a fresh round of air strikes over Libya on Saturday, Egyptian military sources and an eyewitness said, targeting militant BAGHDAD/MOSUL: Iraqi armed camps it said were responsible for a forces launched an operation on shooting spree that killed dozens of Saturday to capture the last IS-held Egyptian Christians. enclave in Mosul, according to a

On Friday, Egyptian fighter jets military statement. struck eastern Libya just hours after a The fall of the city would effectively shooting that killed 29 and wounded mark the end of Iraqi half of the 24 in the southern Egyptian province “caliphate” declared nearly three years of Minya when masked militants ago by IS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, boarded vehicles en route to a which also covers parts of Syria. monastery and opened fire at close The Iraqi air force dropped leaflets range. on Friday urging residents in the

IS claimed responsibility for the part of the city on Saturday. enclave to flee, although humanitarian attack, the latest directed at Egypt’s Egypt’s military spokesman groups fear for the safety of civilians increasingly embattled Christian declined to comment on the new trying to escape. minority following two church raids. Derna has a history of militancy The enclave covers mainly the Old bombings last month that killed more and is where IS set up its first presence City centre and three adjacent districts than 45, also claimed by the group. in Libya in 2014. alongside the western bank of the

President Abdel Fattah al Sisi However, the group was later Tigris River. said on Friday the air raids were chased from the city by local fighters The US-backed offensive on Mosul, targeting militant camps responsible and rival extremists. now in its eighth month, has taken for plotting the attack, and that The east Libyan air force said longer than planned as the militants Egypt would not hesitate to carry out the strikes were targeting Al Qaeda are dug in among civilians, fighting additional strikes inside and outside linked forces. Egypt’s military said in back with booby traps, suicide cars the country. Sources said that three a statement it had “conducted several and motor-bikes, snipers and mortar additional air raids were launched intensive day and night-time strikes”

fire.“The on Saturday morning in the area of that successfully destroyed many joint forces have began Derna, a city where east Libyan forces targets, including training camps liberating the remaining districts,” said led by Khalifa Haftar, a close ally of responsible for the Minya attack. an Iraqi military statement. Egypt, has been trying to gain control A video uploaded to the military’s Desperate civilians trapped behind from extremists and other opponents. Facebook page depicted fighter jets IS lines now face a harrowing situation

A resident in Derna said that being armed with missiles and taking with little food and water, no electricity warplanes were seen striking the off as well as aerial footage of air and limited access to hospitals. Dahr al Hamar area in the southern strikes. The push inside the Old City