Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO – Libya’s Abdullah al-Thani has threatened new joint air strikes with Egypt against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in Libya.

Such strikes on ISIL sites in Derna were mounted Feb. 16 after ISIL released a video showing the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians, mostly Egyptians.

Thani warned that ISIL “is well-established in the region of Sirte and does not hide its presence in Tripoli. If troops are not provided with the weapons they need, the group will deploy throughout Libya.”

Last week, Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Dairi appealed to the UN Security Council to lift an arms embargo on Libya to allow its military to fight ISIL jihadists.

“Any time there is a danger and a threat, there will be air strikes, in complete coordination between Egypt and Libya,” he said according to a report by AFP.

Libya has has been wracked by warring groups since the 2011 U.S.-backed revolt that ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

The chaos in the country has triggered a dramatic migration to Europe.

Since the beheadings, more than 25,000 Egyptians have fled the country, the foreign ministry said on Feb. 27.

Before the 2011 upheaval, some 1.5 million Egyptians worked in Libya. Hundreds of thousands fled the country that year and more continue to leave the country during the ensuing chaos.

  Desperate Libyan leader warns of more air strikes with Egypt against ISIL, ISIL, ISIS, Sisi, WorldTribune.com