ISIS CELLS ATTACK POLICE CENTER IN NORTHEASTERN LIBYA

On June 2, militants riding five vehicles armed with heavy machineguns attacked a building of the Libyan Police and a checkpoint near it in the area of al-Qanan in the southern part of the northeastern district of Ajdabiya, according UAE-based al-Arabiya TV.

The directorate of security of Ajdabiya said in an official statement that the militants had managed to burn the police center and destroyed several vehicles during the attack. Moreover, the militants killed a girl and injured five members of her family after targeting their car, according to the official statement.

The ISIS-linked news agency said on June 3 that the attack was carried out by ISIS cells, which are mainly located in southern Libya. The source also claimed that ISIS fighters killed all Libyan policemen who were inside the police center in the moment of the attack. However, this claim was not confirmed by any Libyan source.

During the last three months, ISIS cells launched several hit and run attacks on the Libyan National Arm and the Libyan Police in Ajdabiya. The coastal district hosts one of the main oil refinery plants in Libya along with a large oil storage facility. This could explain why ISIS seeks to expand its influence there.

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