Islamic States' (ISIS) size in Libya has likely doubled from initial estimates of 4,000 to 6,000 men US Army General David Rodriguez said on Thursday.
"The US intelligence community has said it's around 4,000 to 6,000. It has probably about doubled in the last 12 to 18 months based on what their assessments were last year," Rodriguez explained.
Rodriguez attributes this to militias in Libya pledging allegiance to ISIS and an increasing number of foreign fighters streaming into the country. Also members of ISIS's leadership in Iraq and Syria have relocated to war-torn Libya as they begin to lose ground in those countries.
While the US has bombed ISIS in Libya in the past it has not yet extended its air campaign against the group in that country.
Rodriguez thinks that will change once a new Libyan unity government is established. Then the US may well support that governments efforts against ISIS with airstrikes.
"That's a possibility as are many other things," he said. Any other forms of support would be 'a decision for the national command authority and leadership," in Libya.
Libya has been mired in internal violence since a civil war deposed the regime of Muammar Gaddafi back in 2011. ISIS has managed to get a sizable foothold in the country given the instability and current inability of any authority to muster the resources needed to combat them.
"The US intelligence community has said it's around 4,000 to 6,000. It has probably about doubled in the last 12 to 18 months based on what their assessments were last year," Rodriguez explained.
Rodriguez attributes this to militias in Libya pledging allegiance to ISIS and an increasing number of foreign fighters streaming into the country. Also members of ISIS's leadership in Iraq and Syria have relocated to war-torn Libya as they begin to lose ground in those countries.
While the US has bombed ISIS in Libya in the past it has not yet extended its air campaign against the group in that country.
Rodriguez thinks that will change once a new Libyan unity government is established. Then the US may well support that governments efforts against ISIS with airstrikes.
"That's a possibility as are many other things," he said. Any other forms of support would be 'a decision for the national command authority and leadership," in Libya.
Libya has been mired in internal violence since a civil war deposed the regime of Muammar Gaddafi back in 2011. ISIS has managed to get a sizable foothold in the country given the instability and current inability of any authority to muster the resources needed to combat them.
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