From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Libya asks Arab League to bomb IS affiliate
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLibya’s internationally recognized government has appealed to Arab countries to carry out airstrikes against the local Islamic State affiliate which is expanding its hold on the coastal central city of Sirte.
The statement comes after the IS affiliate seized control of a new neighborhood in Sirte. The affiliate shelled the area, killed a senior cleric and hung the bodies of prisoners they killed over bridges. The government also called for an end to the arms embargo imposed since 2011.
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The Arab League says it will hold an emergency meeting on Libya Tuesday.
Egypt, which is lobbying for a more active international role in Libya against IS, has carried out multiple airstrikes inside Libya against IS, including some after the group killed 21 Egyptian hostages held in Libya.
— AP
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