Islamic State setting up Libya training camps, US says

The head of the US Africa command, General David Rodriguez, says Islamic State militants have set up training camps in eastern Libya.

Gen. Rodriguez said there could be a couple of hundred ISIS fighters undergoing training at the sites.

He said the camps are at a very early stage, but the US is watching carefully to see how it develops.

Libya has been in turmoil since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011, with various tribes, militias and political factions fighting for power.

Several Islamist groups are competing for power in the east of the country, with some militants recently declaring allegiance to ISIS.

Speaking in Washington, Gen Rodriguez said it was not yet clear how closely aligned the trainees were with ISIS.

The elected government has lost Libya's three main cities amid the political crisis.

The US has been leading an international coalition conducting air strikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in recent months.

BBC