US President Obama calls for efforts to fight IS in Libya

(Baonghean.vn) - On January 28, the White House said that US President Barack Obama has instructed national security advisors to prevent efforts by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization to expand its operations to Libya and other countries.

US President Barack Obama. Photo: Reuters

Reuters news agency quoted the White House announcement as saying: "President Obama has directed his national security team to continue efforts to increase monitoring and support ongoing counterterrorism operations in Libya and other countries where IS seeks to establish a presence."

Earlier, in a press conference, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said IS was setting up training facilities in Libya and attracting foreign recruits as it had done in Iraq and Syria in recent years.

"We don't want a situation like Syria and Iraq. That's why we're watching closely and continuing to act," said Mr. Ash Carter.

On January 27, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the US had sent "a number of military personnel" to Libya to try to "establish communication channels with forces there to get a more specific understanding of the situation."

According to the Wall Street Journal, in just the past year, the IS force in the city of Sirte, Libya has increased from 200 to 5,000 people. The US newspaper quoted its own sources as saying that IS leaders have now called on all terrorist forces to gather in Libya to carry out their intention of capturing oil fields and refineries near Sirte.

Phuong Thao

(According to Reuters)