French forces 'leading war against IS in Libya'

The prime minister of the government of Tripoli, Khalifa Ghweil, unrecognized by the international community, on Wednesday confirmed that French special forces “were leading the fight” in Benghazi (east), hours after reports that the French were waging a “secret war” against the Islamic State in Libya.

The Tripoli government has strongly condemned the offensive waged since Saturday by forces loyal to the Libyan government recognized by the international community in Benghazi.

On Wednesday, news agencies reported the presence of special forces and French secret agents in Libya engaged in covert operations against Islamic State militants in conjunction with the United States and Britain.

The Tripoli government militarily supports the Shura Council of the Revolutionaries, a diverse coalition of militia groups fighting in part for the loyalist forces in Benghazi and have called the Loyalist offensive “unjustified hostile acts.”

Jihadists of Ansar Asharia, a movement close to al Qaeda, is also fighting in this city against troops loyal to the Libyan authorities recognized internationally.

US warplanes struck an Islamic State training camp in Libya last Friday in attacks that killed nearly 50 people including two Serbian embassy employees abducted last November, according to Serbia’s prime minister.