The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the killing of soldiers loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Hafter whose forces are waging a campaign to capture Tripoli.
At least eight of Hafter’s soldiers died after a group of armed men stormed a military training camp in the southwestern city of Sebha over the weekend.
The mayor of Sebha, Hamid Ben Khayal has said one of those killed in the raid had been beheaded.
It is the second attack in the city in less than a month.
The Libyan National Army under Hafter have been waging a war to capture the capital Tripoli since April, resulting in hundreds of fatalities and thousands of displaced people.
Tripoli is under the control of the internationally recognized government of national accord led by Fayz Serraj.
The authorities in Tripoli have condemned the attack on Sebha and hold Hafter directly responsible for the return of the Islamic State to Libya.
The government claimed it has routed the IS in a strident military campaign to forced its insurgents out of the country.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemned the Sebha attack, describing it as a strong reminder to all Libyan, as well as to the international community, that terrorist groups will continue to exploit every opportunity, including the ongoing fighting in Tripoli to expand their footprints in Libya.
SS/as/APA