Facing ISIS in Africa

US forces will continue to go after ISIS targets in Africa that pose an “imminent threat” to US personnel and interests as the group’s presence grows in Libya, said Army Gen. David Rodriguez, commander of US Africa Command, on Thursday. The flow of fighters throughout Northern Africa has increased, with a growing ISIS presence in Libyan cities, such as Sirte, Benghazi, and Sabratha. The US has taken steps to target ISIS leaders, including striking the group’s commander and a training camp near Sabratha in February, Rodriguez said. Regional countries are growing increasingly concerned about the presence of ISIS fighters and are increasing their capacity to counter it, he said. The leader in this push has been Tunisia, which itself has been the target of an ISIS attack on the resort town of Sousse in June 2015. Additionally, Chad and Nigeria are focused on threats in southern Libya. (See also: ‘Vigorous Action’ Needed in Libya and Expanding Operations in Libya.)