Egypt Bombs ISIS Sites in Libya in Retaliation for the Beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egypt today bombed sites in Derna, Libya, allegedly belonging to the ISIS. Photo credit: @FreeBenghazi (Twitter)
Egypt bombed ISIS targets in Libya today, in retaliation to the grusesome beheading of 21 Coptic Christian Egyptian workers a day earlier.
The militant group shared a video on YouTube showing the beheading of the Egyptian workers, which were abducted over a month ago, creating an out roar in Egypt. Twitter has been flooded with expressions of sadness, sympathy, and anger after the news of the beheading of the 21 hostages spread. A flood of criticism also pointed out the failures of the current Egyptian administration.
According to news reports, about eight attacks targeted camps, training sites and weapon storage facilities in Derna, which has been taken over by an ISIS affiliate last year.
On its account on Twitter, The Libya Observer reported:
#Libya: Benghazi Air Force commander says Egyptian airstrikes were coordinated to target areas he described as "occupied by #IS" in #Derna
— Mohamed Yehia (@yeh1a) February 16, 2015
Free Benghazi tweets photographs, allegedly from Derna, where the airstrikes took place:
Derna friend says 3 jets involved in #Egypt airstrikes over Derna. Lasted 90mins & hit 8 targets in diff areas#Libya pic.twitter.com/Yg18HwVwRJ
— Elle.Horreya (@FreeBenghazi) February 16, 2015
And Taqi Alshlawi, from Derna itself, shares this photograph:
صورة أولية .. #درنة pic.twitter.com/o5zZLs2pPO
— تقى الشلوى (@Tashalwi) February 16, 2015
First images
He also shares this 20-second video on YouTube to show the aftermath of the strikes:
On YouTube, libyatna (Our Libya) shares this 43-second video showing the aftermath of one of the strikes on Derna this morning:
The video shows destroyed buildings, in a residential area, with smoke billowing out of a building.
According to Mary Fitzgerald, who is a journalist and analyst focused on Libya, Derna is a hotbed of terrorists in East Libya:
Derna, eastern #Libya town hit by Egypt air strikes, has long history of militancy. Home to AQ-aligned groups as well as ISIS affiliate hub
— Mary Fitzgerald (@MaryFitzger) February 16, 2015
But in another tweet, she notes:
Egypt air strikes attacked Derna in eastern Libya. Ref in ISIS vid to "wilayat Trablus" suggests Egyptian Copt beheadings took place in west
— Mary Fitzgerald (@MaryFitzger) February 16, 2015
And according to Elijah J. Magnier, AL RAI Chief International Correspondent:
#Egypt coordinated with #Libya to hit #IS in #Libya: 5 houses belonging to #IS commanders and the "IS Islamic Tribunal" hit by airforce.
— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) February 16, 2015
On its Facebook page, the Egyptian Armed Forces shares this footage of its fighter jets taking off for the airstrikes on Libya.
Playing into the ISIS Plan:
For many on Twitter, the ISIS plan of pulling regional players into the conflict has paid off by beheading the 21 Coptic Egyptians in Libya.
Palestinian Iyad El-Baghdadi tells his 38.4K followers on Twitter:
ISIS is regularly getting out of regional powers exactly the (predictable) reaction it wanted and planned for.
— Iyad El-Baghdadi (@iyad_elbaghdadi) February 16, 2015
And he further explains:
Retaliatory strikes aren't a side effect for IS, they're part of their plan. Also collateral damage by the strikes (read: dead baby vids).
— Iyad El-Baghdadi (@iyad_elbaghdadi) February 16, 2015
Proud Libyan says the attacks will only broaden support for ths ISIS in war fragmented Libya:
Strike who & where & what are the consequences 4 us?Cross the border Egyptian intervention will bring destruction & more recruitment 4 ISIS!
— ProudLibyan (@OnlyOneLibya) February 16, 2015
Doha-based Charles Lister, who is a Brookings Doha Centre fellow, chimes in:
#ISIS will have hoped to provoke #Egypt airstrikes in #Libya – this fits perfectly its vision of escalating conflict & chaos in the region.
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) February 16, 2015
And Magnier adds:
This is all #IS tactics to divide the effort against it in #Syria and #Iraq and distract the attention #USA #EU by spreading disorder
— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) February 16, 2015
What do Libyans Say?
For Libyans, the strikes will further complicate a grave situation.
Writing on Libya Liberty on Twitter, Libyan-American microblogger Hend, told her 38.6K followers:
Libyans have been presented w/ a very strong motivation to galvanize behind both an ISIS threat & foreign military intervention – will they?
— Hend (@LibyaLiberty) February 16, 2015
Proud Libyan offers the following advice to his countrymen and women:
Wake up Libyans! Your country is about to become another battle ground as in Syria and Iraq, while our politicians do nothing but bicker!!
— ProudLibyan (@OnlyOneLibya) February 16, 2015
The Twitter user, with around 5,000 followers, adds:
There is no other way than full national reconciliation and unity to face these problems. We said this 2011, now we say it again and always
— ProudLibyan (@OnlyOneLibya) February 16, 2015
And UKWAS tells his 3,000 followers:
لم يعد لدينا وقت.الخيارات محدودة والأفق يضيق أمامنا. على الليبيين الآن التنازل عن عنادهم وعداواتهم والتوحد وإلا فلننس حاجة اسمها ليبيا للأبد
— UKWAS (@Ukwass) February 16, 2015
We no longer have time. Our options are limited and the horizon is getting narrower. Libyans will have to give up their stubbornness and enmity and unite or else we will have to forget that there was a country called Libya forever
Further Reading:
In Arabic, the hashtag #ضد_التدخل_العسكري_المصري_في_ليبيا which translates to Against the Military Intervention of Egypt in Libya has been active.