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ISIS expands: Algeria, Egypt and now Libya, where will the horrifying terrorist group appear next?

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Libyan jihadists own miniature caliphate in country's northern region

Libya was one of the first nations that underwent a revolution during the beginning years of the Arab Spring. However, for the last few years, many - both regionally and locally - had breathed a sigh of relief over the apparently stabilized situation that had taken hold, but time has shown that fight for Libya is far from over, and the North African powerhouse may have become a rear base for the Islamic State.

Highlights

By Kaci Racelma (Catholic Online)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
2/16/2015 (9 years ago)

Published in Africa

Keywords: Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Islamic State, Islam

ALGIERS, ALGERIA (Catholic Online) - The Islamic State has captured the city of Sirte, located along the south coast of the Gulf of Sidra, just 300 miles from Tripoli, the Libyan capital, and released broadcasts from a local radio station on February 12.

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Previous to this conquest, and following in its wake, numerous Libyan jihadist groups pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, joining portions of Libya to the new Islamic Caliphate that he had declared in 2014.

One of these groups the Majlis Shura Shabab al-Islam, a jihadist group also known as the al-Battar Brigade which fought under the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. These fighters swore fealty to the Islamic State in November of last year, and control a portion of northeastern Libya.

In their territory, this group has carried out executions of people who are guilty only of opposing the violent Islamist ideology of the group. Corporal punishment is the law of the land, and the group has created its own Islamic courts to met out justice.

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This is the Islamic State's third branch in North Africa, following the Jund al-Khilafa group's oath of allegiance in Algeria, and Ansar al-Bayt Maqdiss's in Egypt.

"The situation goes from bad to worse in our country which seems to be plunged in a real chaos," said one local journalist who spoke under a condition of anonymity for his safety. "After having nourished a sort of hope to recover from this deep uneasiness we're back in a much worse situation. I think that without concessions from each part to reach a peace agreement, Libya can be a real sanctuary to terrorism and smuggling."

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