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CAIRO Egypt made clear on Monday that it planned to press ahead with air strikes against Islamist militants in neighbouring Libya who it says were responsible for killing Egyptian Christians in an ambush last week.

Libyan military commanders said Egyptian jets hit the Libyan city of Derna on Monday, continuing attacks that began hours after masked men boarded vehicles driving dozens of people to a monastery in the southern Egyptian province of Minya on Friday and killed 29.

A witness said on Monday one air attack hit the western entrance to Derna and two others hit Dahr al-Hamar in the city's south.

"The air strikes are joint ones between the Libyan National Army and Egyptian army," said Ahmad Messmari, a spokesman for the Libyan National Army, an eastern Libyan faction allied with Egypt.

An Egyptian military spokesman, Colonel Tamer al-Refaei, said anyone who plotted what he called terrorist violence against Egypt was not beyond the reach of the military.

"Anyone sponsoring terrorism will be punished no matter where they are," he told the state-owned Ahram newspaper. "We have not announced the cessation of military operations against terrorist training camps."

Libyan operational commander Brigadier Abdulsalam Al-Hasi told Reuters the strikes targeted Majlis Mujahideen Derna and Abu Salim brigade, two local Libyan groups allied with al Qaeda.

Refaei said the military was not targeting a specific militant group because it did not differentiate between various factions.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Egypt had targeted militant bases in Libya "to get rid of them and to limit their ability to threaten Egypt's national security".

Speaking at a news conference in Cairo with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Shoukry said Egypt looked forward to "Russia utilising all of its available capabilities to work together to get rid of terrorism".

ISLAMIC STATE

Islamic State claimed responsibility for last week's attack in Egypt, the latest targeting the Christian minority there. Three church bombings since December, also claimed by Islamic State, have killed more than 70 people.

Another Egyptian state-owned newspaper, Akhbar, said two men responsible for planning the Minya attack had also been involved in the church bombings. The two, now on the run, had been helped by accomplices from Libya who supported Islamic State.

Akhbar quoted security sources as saying the two men had provided weapons and cars for the gunmen, some of whom belonged to Islamic State's Libyan affiliate.

Egypt has carried out air strikes in Libya occasionally since its neighbour descended into factional fighting in the years following the 2011 civil war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi.

Islamist militant groups, including Islamic State, have gained ground in the chaos, and Derna, a city of about 150,000 that straddles the coastal highway linking Libya to Egypt, has a long history with Islamist militancy.

Islamic State first attempted to establish a presence in Libya in Derna, but it faced armed resistance from more locally affiliated militant groups, including the Majlis Mujahideen Derna coalition and the Abu Salim brigade. It was driven out of the city in 2015 and later set up its main Libyan base in Sirte.

Egypt has been backing eastern commander Khalifa Haftar, whose Libyan National Army has been fighting Islamist militant groups and other fighters in Benghazi and Derna for more than two years.

Messmari, the Libyan National Army spokesman, told reporters in Benghazi late on Sunday that Haftar's forces were coordinating with Egypt's military and the weekend raids targeted ammunition stores and operations camps.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Friday the air raids targeted militants responsible for plotting the attack, and that Egypt would not hesitate to carry out additional strikes inside and outside the country.

(Additional reporting by Ayman Ayman Al-Warfalli in Benghazi and Asma Alsharif in Cairo; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Giles Elgood and Dan Grebler)

BERLIN German police on Tuesday detained a 17-year-old Syrian suspected of planning a suicide attack in Berlin, a spokesman for the interior ministry of the neighboring state of Brandenburg said.

BERLIN German Chancellor Angela Merkel underlined her doubts about the reliability of the United States as an ally on Monday but said she was a "convinced trans-Atlanticist", fine-tuning her message after surprising Washington with her frankness a day earlier.

BAGHDAD Two car bombs killed at least 20 people in Baghdad and wounded about 80 others early on Tuesday, security sources said, one targeting the late-night crowds typical of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan who shop and eat ahead of the next day's fast.

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Egypt to press ahead with air strikes after Christians attacked - Reuters

Cairo - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry discussed the conflicts in Libya and Syria as they met in Cairo on Monday, the foreign ministry there said.

Lavrov and Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu were also due to meet President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Egypt's defence minister, the foreign ministry in Moscow said.

Lavrov and Shoukry discussed Libya, where rival administrations and militias have fought for control of the oil-rich country since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Moammar Gaddafi, the Egyptian statement said.

The meeting comes just days after Egypt carried out air strikes on jihadist training camps in eastern Libya in reprisal for shooting dead 29 Christians in central Egypt. The Islamic State group later claimed the attack.

Forces loyal to east Libya military strongman Khalifa Haftar, who took part in the strikes, said late Friday's raids hit a pro-Al-Qaeda group in the Libyan city of Derna after the attack on Copts in Egypt earlier in the day.

On Monday, Shoukry also praised "Russia's role in the success of the Astana process", the talks in Kazakhstan trying to bring about peace in Syria, and said he hoped it would lead to "a total ceasefire and reinforce political negotiations", the ministry said.

Earlier this month, Damascus allies Russia and Iran as well as rebel supporter Turkey signed a landmark deal to create four "de-escalation" zones across some of Syria's bloodiest battlegrounds.

Lavrov also met Arab League head Ahmed Aboul Gheit, with both men stressing the importance of "working seriously to find political solutions to the crises and armed conflicts in the Arab world", the 22-member bloc said in a statement.

The Russian ministers' visit to Cairo had been planned for weeks as part of regular meetings between the allied countries.

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Russian ministers in Egypt discuss Libya and Syria conflicts - News24

Tripoli, Libya (CNN)At least 47 people were killed in fierce clashes between rival militias in Libya, the Ministry of Health said.

"Can hear explosions and artillery fire in south Tripoli. Condemn action by these militias who threaten security of Libyans, especially before Ramadan," British Ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett wrote on Twitter.

People were trapped in combat zones, leading the International Committee of the Red Cross to urge all sides of the conflict to help ambulances reach the injured.

In a statement, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, called on "rival groups to stop fighting immediately and put Libyan national interest first."

The clashes, which were mostly reported on the southern neighborhoods in the city, come after a period of relative calm.

Last year, the United Nations hastened the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord in an effort to promote stability.

But it continues to compete with the Islamist-dominated General National Congress in Tripoli, also known as the Government of National Salvation, and with the previous internationally recognized government, the Council of Deputies, which has set up camp in the east of Libya and backs Gen. Khalifa Haftar, the head of the so-called Libyan army.

CNN's Nic Robertson and Sarah Sirgany contributed to this report.

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Rival militias clash in Libyan capital, leaving 47 dead - CNN

The Portland State University Studies program hosted a talk given by one of its mentors, Mohanad Elshieky, on May 17 in Smith Memorial Student Union. The local comedian presented a serious lecture sprinkled with humor called The Road From Libya about living in Benghazi during the Libyan Revolution.

At five years old, the Libyan government killed Elshiekys neighbor and burned his house to the ground. He grew up knowing he couldnt talk about that event or be critical of the government. Anyone could be a government informant and critics would disappear.

Its different because here [in the U.S.] people have suspicions about like, Is the government taping our calls? Elshieky said. But back home it was more like, We are actually listening to every word youre saying, so watch out.

Until Elshieky got internet at home at about 17 or 18, he thought everyones countries were run like his. It was quite eye opening when he realized this wasnt the case.

The Libyan Revolution seemed impossible because Elshieky viewed Gaddafi as untouchable. Elshieky remembers seeing the revolution begin through social media. A Facebook post stated that Feb. 17, 2011 would be the first day of the revolution.

Elshieky recalled how 50100 people took to the streets in Benghazi that day. Many people were arrested or shot. It seemed as though the revolution would be short lived.

Then the next day, on the 18th, I remember my dad woke me up and he was like, Hey, do you wanna go to the courthouse where the people will meet? Elshieky remembers. I was like, Uh, no, its very early in the morning. Tooearly for the fight for freedom. Lets do it during noon or something. But he convinced me, he was like, The internet connection is down. And I was like, Well, I guess we should go then!

That day he saw the new red, black, and green flag that his father told him was the real Libyan flag. That day the revolution actually seemed possible.

I was an activist, in a sense, but to me it was more about doing the right thing, Elshieky said.

During the Libyan Revolution, Elshieky kept busy as a translator for CNN and working for BBC as a war photographer. Elshieky also had a website with other contributors called Alive From Libya, where they broadcast daily to show the world what was happening.

Death became routine, and sometimes the dead were people Elshieky knew. This was the price of the revolution, he believed.

I thought that being emotionless made me brave, Elshieky said.

One morning Elshieky and his father watched a jet being shot out of the sky. Unknown to them at the time, the pilot was his fathers friend.

On Sept. 11, 2012, a peaceful protest was being held at the U.S. Embassy due to a controversial anti-Islamic film released on the internet called The Innocence of Muslims.

The protest turned violent. Elshieky remembers seeing Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamic State Affiliate, drive past the protest. The Embassy was burned down soon after. Nearby civilians took Ambassador Chris Stevens to the hospital where he later died.

Four Americans were killed, seven Libyans were injured that night, Elshieky said. The next day, people in Benghazi took to the streets with signs condemning terrorism. Chris Stevens was a guest at our home and it felt like we betrayed him and failed to protect him.

Elshieky had two loving parents and described his childhood in Libya as being perfectly normal. He watched the Disney Channel, played soccer and went to the beach. Elshieky loved comedy and had Dave Chappelles comedy saved to his computer for easy viewing.

Today, Elshieky wants people to know that the Libyan Revolution was only a small part of his life. When he encounters people here in the U.S., Elshieky wants people to spend less time welcoming him and actually get to know him. He observed how most people only want to talk to him about war and his struggle instead of his interests, which he feels is dehumanizing.

Elshieky feels that most people fall into two categories when finding out he is from Libya. Either they think he is a threat or nothing but a refugee. He feels that feeling like you dont belong is a problem people of color also face in Portland. Elshieky hopes people will spend less time explaining minorities experiences and needs for them and more time asking them.

After this, an older white man stood in front of Elshieky to explain the experiences of immigrants. After this man left, Elshieky commented that this was a perfect example of what not to do.

Shortly after arriving in the U.S., Elshieky began receiving death threats from back in Libya and realized that he probably couldnt go home. His mother told him that she would rather not see him than see him dead.

Due to travel restrictions for those with Libyan passports, Elshieky cannot travel outside the U.S.

Elshieky speaks to his parents every day. Portland Mercury named Elshieky as one of Portlands Geniuses of Comedy. He is planning on relocating to Los Angeles soon to expand the possibilities of his comedy career.

I didnt know the depth of challenges, said Sam Beebe, a fan of Elshiekys comedy. To go through all that and then stand up in front of a crowd and tell jokes?

For more stories about Elshiekys life during the Libyan Revolution, you can check out his blog, The Road From Libya, at MohanadElshieky.wordpress.com

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Alive from Libya, it's Wednesday at noon! - Psuvanguard.com

New York Times

Timeline Shows Manchester Bomber's Family's Deep Ties to Libya New York Times Salman Abedi, who killed 22 people and wounded 116 more when he blew himself up outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on Monday, was born in Britain to a family with deep ties to Libya. His father, Ramadan, had fled Libya in 1991 after ... How Manchester bomber Salman Abedi was radicalised by his links to LibyaThe Guardian Manchester bomber's brother was 'plotting attack on UN envoy in Libya'Telegraph.co.uk Younger brother of Manchester bomber 'plotted terror attack on UN envoy in Libya'The Independent Breitbart News -Center for Research on Globalization -The Guardian -BBC News all 2,022 news articles »

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Timeline Shows Manchester Bomber's Family's Deep Ties to Libya - New York Times