CAIRO
The Libyan army said Monday that at least 40 militants had been killed in airstrikes on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets in Libya in joint airstrikes carried out by the Egyptian and Libyan air forces.
In a statement, Libyan Air Force Chief-of-Staff Saqr Geroushi said his forces had "carried out several airstrikes [against ISIL] in coordination with the Egyptian military."
"Our warplanes assisted with the raids and destroyed an anti-aircraft missile launcher positioned on the roof of a house," Geroushi said.
"But we don't know whether the house belonged to civilians or not – we've previously warned of this issue," he added.
Earlier Monday, Egypt's army announced that warplanes had carried out airstrikes in neighboring Libya against ISIL targets.
The airstrikes come one day after a video emerged online showing the execution of 21 Egyptian Coptic-Christian workers in Libya by masked men purportedly belonging to the group.
Several online activists on Twitter quoted Libyan television – broadcast from the Islamist-held city of Tripoli – which reported that the airstrikes had left five people dead, including a leading ISIL member.
Egyptian state TV, meanwhile, quoted Geroushi as saying that Egypt's intervention had been at the behest of the Libyan army and that at least 40 ISIL militants had been killed as a result of the airstrikes.
While Geroushi called for coordination between Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, he stressed his opposition to "any [foreign] ground incursions in Libya or the presence of any [foreign] ground troops on Libyan territory."
"We're only asking to be supplied with weapons, aircraft and spare parts to combat the militants," he added.
On Sunday, a video posted on several ISIL-associated websites featured a group of masked men – somewhere, purportedly, along the Libyan coast – beheading 21 men clad in orange jumpsuits.
In a televised address following the appearance of the video, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said his country "reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time to avenge the killing of its nationals."
Egypt, France call for UNSC meeting on ISIL: Agency
Egypt and France on Monday called for a meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) with a view to adopting fresh measures to combat ISIL, Egypt's official news agency has reported.
"During a phone call, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and French President Francois Hollande agreed to call for a UNSC meeting in order to take new measures against the terrorist ISIL," according to the news agency.
Al-Sisi said he had also ordered Egypt's National Defense Council to remain in session in order to mull an appropriate response.
Libya has remained a source of concern for neighboring Egypt since the North African country descended into chaos following the 2011 ouster and death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi.
In the more than three years since, Egyptians have been frequently targeted in Libya, prompting Cairo to warn citizens against travelling to the fractious state.
