LONDON (Sputnik) — The United Kingdom plans to create a small military group in Egypt to "better understand" the situation in Libya and the issues of regional security, the country's Ministry of Defence said in a statement Friday.
"As part of this continued cooperation, Britain plans to form a small military operations team in Egypt to better understand Libyan, and regional, security issues….. Countering extremism remains a top priority for the UK Government and this small joint team will share ideas on countering ISIL [Islamic State] in Libya and to understand how Britain will, in time, support the future Government of National Accord," the statement read.
The proposed military group will guarantee a common understanding of the security situation in Libya, and will help ensure that "any future UK and Egyptian operational activity is complementary," according to the statement.
Libya has been in a state of turmoil since early 2011 after the Arab Spring protests led to a civil war and the overthrow of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi.
There are currently two rival governments in the county: the internationally recognized Council of Deputies based in Tobruk and the self-proclaimed General National Congress, based in the capital city of Tripoli
Internal instability has allowed Islamic State (ISIL) militants to gain ground in Libya. ISIL activities in Libya came under the spotlight when reports emerged that the gunman who killed 38 foreign tourists, including 30 British citizens, at the Tunisian beach resort of Sousse on June 26, was trained in a Libyan jihadist camp.
