Local Editor
16-02-2015 | 09:02
Egypt carried out air strikes against "ISIL" group targets in Libya on Monday after the terrorists posted a video showing the decapitation of 21 Coptic Christians, the military said.
"Your armed forces on Monday carried out focused air strikes in Libya against Daesh camps, places of gathering and training, and weapons depots," the military said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for "ISIL".
State television showed footage of Egyptian fighter jets it said were taking off to conduct the strikes.
Egypt's President Abdel el-Sisi said Cairo "reserves the right to respond in any way" to the killing of 21 Copts by Daesh militants. The extremist group has released a graphic video showing the beheadings of the Copts that were kidnapped in Libya.
Sisi warned that Cairo would choose the "necessary means and timing to avenge the criminal killings" as he spoke on state television in the wake of the surfaced footage of the brutal executions.
The Copts - native Christians of Egypt - are shown in the video dressed in orange jumpsuits with their hands tied behind their backs, while being walked along the seaside by jihadists dressed in black. The Egyptian men are then forced to kneel before being beheaded.
A caption on the five-minute video read: "The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church."
Before the killings, one of the militants stood with a knife in his hand and said: "Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for."
The Coptic Church confirmed that 21 Egyptian Christians believed to have been held by "ISIL" are dead, Egypt's state news agency MENA reported.
Following the release of the video, al-Sisi called urgent security talks. Egypt has announced seven days of mourning.
The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry banned travel to Libya following the killings on Sunday.
The "ISIL" militants first published the images of the 21 Copts on Thursday, in the group's Dabiq magazine. The men were reportedly abducted in the Libyan city of Sirte on two separate occasions - seven on December 31 and 14 on January 3.
Later on Thursday, Cairo began to evacuate all Egyptian citizens wishing to return from Libya, and has renewed a travel alert to the neighboring country. At the same time, the Egyptian presidential office issued a statement vowing to return the kidnapped citizens.
The group has previously performed similar executions of Jordanian, Japanese, American, British, and French hostages, which were also filmed and published on social media.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
Egypt carried out air strikes against "ISIL" group targets in Libya on Monday after the terrorists posted a video showing the decapitation of 21 Coptic Christians, the military said.
"Your armed forces on Monday carried out focused air strikes in Libya against Daesh camps, places of gathering and training, and weapons depots," the military said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for "ISIL".
State television showed footage of Egyptian fighter jets it said were taking off to conduct the strikes.
Egypt's President Abdel el-Sisi said Cairo "reserves the right to respond in any way" to the killing of 21 Copts by Daesh militants. The extremist group has released a graphic video showing the beheadings of the Copts that were kidnapped in Libya.
Sisi warned that Cairo would choose the "necessary means and timing to avenge the criminal killings" as he spoke on state television in the wake of the surfaced footage of the brutal executions.
The Copts - native Christians of Egypt - are shown in the video dressed in orange jumpsuits with their hands tied behind their backs, while being walked along the seaside by jihadists dressed in black. The Egyptian men are then forced to kneel before being beheaded.
A caption on the five-minute video read: "The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church."
Before the killings, one of the militants stood with a knife in his hand and said: "Safety for you crusaders is something you can only wish for."
The Coptic Church confirmed that 21 Egyptian Christians believed to have been held by "ISIL" are dead, Egypt's state news agency MENA reported.
Following the release of the video, al-Sisi called urgent security talks. Egypt has announced seven days of mourning.
The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry banned travel to Libya following the killings on Sunday.
The "ISIL" militants first published the images of the 21 Copts on Thursday, in the group's Dabiq magazine. The men were reportedly abducted in the Libyan city of Sirte on two separate occasions - seven on December 31 and 14 on January 3.
Later on Thursday, Cairo began to evacuate all Egyptian citizens wishing to return from Libya, and has renewed a travel alert to the neighboring country. At the same time, the Egyptian presidential office issued a statement vowing to return the kidnapped citizens.
The group has previously performed similar executions of Jordanian, Japanese, American, British, and French hostages, which were also filmed and published on social media.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
Egyptian, Libyan airstrikes on ISIS targets in Libya after terrorists behead 21 Copts
Egypt’s Air Force has hit Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) positions in Derna, Libya, after the execution of 21 Christian Egyptians by the terrorist group. Libyan forces loyal to the authorities have also targeted the IS in the country, a commander said.
Up to 50 militants have been killed in the airstrikes on Libya, Egyptian state TV reported.
Egypt’s military has issued a televised statement, confirming the dawn strikes and stating that the attacks targeted IS camps, training sites and weapons storage locations in Libya, Reuters reported.
In a televised address, President Abdel Fattah Sisi said Egypt "reserves the right to respond in a suitable way and time." He also declared seven days of national mourning.
READ MORE: Egypt eyes revenge after ISIS executes 21 Copts, releases video
Mohamed Eljarh, a journalist on the ground, has reported on his Twitter that there have been at least eight airstrikes on IS positions, and that Egypt’s military has stated it is only the beginning of its response to the Copts’ killings.
Libya's top army General Khalifa Haftar said in a phone interview with Egyptian TV channel Dream that the military “strongly support Egyptian military intervention to strike Daaesh [IS] and other terrorist groups.”
“Libyans are helping the Egyptian army to take revenge on these terrorist forces because Cairo is considered to be a Libyan city," he added.
Libyan warplanes also bombed targets in the central Libyan cities of Sirte and Ben Jawad, according to the country’s air force commander. Earlier, Libyan forces joined Egyptian planes in Derna to assist in the strikes.
France and Egypt have called for a UN Security Council meeting, urging "new measures" against the IS.
The five-minute video released on Sunday demonstrated the Coptic Christians being walked in orange jumpsuits, with the terrorists forcing them to kneel and then behead them. The caption on the video read, "The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian Church."
The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry prohibited entry to Libya for the Egyptian citizens following the appearance of the video.
The images of the killings first emerged on Thursday, in the IS magazine Dabiq.
The men were allegedly kidnapped from the Libyan city of Sirte on two occasions: December 31 and January 3.
This is the first airstrike carried out on the IS positions by Egypt – at least the government previously denied any involvement. It joins its Middle East and North African allies Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
So far, apart from the US, which leads the Western military drive against the IS, the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands have participated in the operation.
Iran and Turkey have also intervened with their troops on the ground over the past year.
Syrian and Iraqi Kurds are taking part in the operation, mainly with the help of Turkish and Iranian forces.
Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church said it was sure that those who beheaded the Egyptians will be punished.
“The Orthodox Church ... is confident its homeland would not rest until the evil perpetrators get their fair retribution for their wicked crime,” the Coptic Church said in a statement on its Facebook page.
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Up to 50 militants have been killed in the airstrikes on Libya, Egyptian state TV reported.
Egypt’s military has issued a televised statement, confirming the dawn strikes and stating that the attacks targeted IS camps, training sites and weapons storage locations in Libya, Reuters reported.
MAP: Egypt airstrikes targeted #ISIS hub in Libya, Derna, on coast http://on.rt.com/gv67ta
READ MORE: Egypt eyes revenge after ISIS executes 21 Copts, releases video
Mohamed Eljarh, a journalist on the ground, has reported on his Twitter that there have been at least eight airstrikes on IS positions, and that Egypt’s military has stated it is only the beginning of its response to the Copts’ killings.
#Breaking: #Egypt's Airforce has conducted multiple airstrikes on Islamic State targets in the city of #Derna. At least 8 airstrikes. #Libya
“Libyans are helping the Egyptian army to take revenge on these terrorist forces because Cairo is considered to be a Libyan city," he added.
Libyan warplanes also bombed targets in the central Libyan cities of Sirte and Ben Jawad, according to the country’s air force commander. Earlier, Libyan forces joined Egyptian planes in Derna to assist in the strikes.
France and Egypt have called for a UN Security Council meeting, urging "new measures" against the IS.
#Libya | Airstrikes by loyalists to former general Khalifa Heftar reported against #IS fighters in Derna - Residents
The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry prohibited entry to Libya for the Egyptian citizens following the appearance of the video.
The images of the killings first emerged on Thursday, in the IS magazine Dabiq.
The men were allegedly kidnapped from the Libyan city of Sirte on two occasions: December 31 and January 3.
This is the first airstrike carried out on the IS positions by Egypt – at least the government previously denied any involvement. It joins its Middle East and North African allies Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
So far, apart from the US, which leads the Western military drive against the IS, the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands have participated in the operation.
Iran and Turkey have also intervened with their troops on the ground over the past year.
Syrian and Iraqi Kurds are taking part in the operation, mainly with the help of Turkish and Iranian forces.
Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church said it was sure that those who beheaded the Egyptians will be punished.
“The Orthodox Church ... is confident its homeland would not rest until the evil perpetrators get their fair retribution for their wicked crime,” the Coptic Church said in a statement on its Facebook page.
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- UNSC Seeks to Choke off Millions from ISIL Funds
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- UAE Resumes Air Strikes against ISIL
- Two Israeli Smugglers Killed by Egypt Army on Border
- Former UN Chief: US Invasion of Iraq Helped Create ISIL
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