UK does not rule out sending troops to Libya

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond stressed that he does not rule out sending troops to Libya to confront the Daesh expansion.

“It wouldn’t make sense to rule anything out because you never know how things are going to evolve. But if there were ever any question of a British combat role in any form – ground, sea or air – that would go to the House of Commons,” Hammond said in an interview with The Telegraph published on Saturday.

“It is only 100 miles from Libya to Lampedusa. I think it is a threat. If Daesh became established in Libya and sought to use that established base to infiltrate terrorists into Europe, that would be a threat to all of us,” he added.

The British foreign secretary had said earlier that the international community is ready to support Libyan forces and provide them with technical help and training, announcing that Britain will offer Libya technical support worth £10 million.

Daesh is one of the key threats to international security. In recent years, it has extended it its control over large areas of Iraq and Syria, and it is currently trying to strengthen its influence in North Africa.