Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL - Libya)

The Islamic State – Libya Province (Arabic: ولاية ليبيا,; Aldawlat al'iislamiat - Wilayat Libya) is a militant Islamist group active and a totalitarian organization in Libya. The country was home to many foreign terrorist groups. In late 2014, the Islamic militants arrived in Libya, including a delegation sent by ISIS leadership, pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leading to the formal creation of three ISIS "provinces" (wilayah) in Libya: Tripolitania (west) including the capital Tripoli, Cyrenaica (east), and Fezzan (south). The group seized full control of Derna and later established its strongest emirate outside Iraq in Sirte, holding about 250km of coastline. At its peak in 2015-2016, ISIS controlled a significant stretch of the Libyan coastline, including the city of Sirte, operating as a de facto state until 2016. Following their territorial losses between 2016 and 2019, the remaining ISIS fighters established "desert camps" and sleeper cells, primarily in the remote Fezzan region (southern Libya) to hide fighters and weaponry. This area's lawlessness and porous borders make it a strategic location for regrouping and launching attacks. The group actively recruits from neighboring African countries, with a notable emphasis on sub-Saharan nationals, including those from Egypt and Sudan. Foreign fighters have historically made up a large portion of its ranks. Libya remains a component of the group's global network, engaging in activities such as smuggling (arms and human trafficking) to gain revenue and support operations in the broader Sahel and North African regions. Libya is now home to foreign terrorist groups, which transitioned from a "de facto state" model to decentralized, asymmetric insurgent warfare through operations are concentrated in the vast, lawless valleys and intersections of southern Libya with its ranks of terrorist fighters are heavily supplemented by sub-Saharan African nationals, alongside fighters from Egypt and Sudan to avoid global mass surveillance.