How Egypt sees the IS threat in Libya

16 February 2015 by Jane Kinninmont Senior research fellow, Chatham House  - BBC Middle East

Egypt will have extensive support in the West for its actions against the Islamic State in Libya this week, in response to the killing of Egyptian Christians there.

Its wider policies towards Libya are more controversial, however. Egypt has been intervening in Libya for months, backing one of the two rival coalitions that claim to represent the country's legitimate government. As militants in both countries develop closer ties, Egypt has become increasingly concerned about instability in Libya spilling over to its own Sinai peninsula. Support for Egypt from European countries was underscored this week when Egypt announced it had concluded a deal to buy 24 Rafale fighter jets from France, at an estimated cost of $5.9bn (£4bn). And the US has been keen to emphasise the role of Sunni Arab nations like Egypt in combating jihadists in the region.

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