Cairo calls for coalition to confront militants after video of mass killing of Coptic Christians

At least 40 suspected Islamic State militants in Libya were killed early on Monday in Egyptian airstrikes in revenge for the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who had been kidnapped in the Libyan city of Sirte, state-run Nile TV reported.

In a statement after the operation in Libya, an Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman said the warplanes struck the group's camps, training sites and weapons depots in Libya.

It was the first time Egypt has publicly confirmed launching airstrikes against the group in neighboring Libya, where extremist groups, threatening both countries, have grown rapidly following the ouster of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

"Let those far and near know that Egyptians have a shield to protect and safeguard the security of the country and a sword that amputates terrorism and extremism," it said.

Egypt is already battling a burgeoning Islamist insurgency centered on the strategic Sinai Peninsula, where militants have recently declared their allegiance to the Islamic State and rely heavily on arms smuggled across the porous desert border between Egypt and Libya.

The strikes also come just a month before Egypt is scheduled to host a major donors' conference at a Sinai resort to attract foreign investment needed to revive the economy after more than four years of turmoil.

Egypt said on Monday that "tough intervention" against militants in Libya is needed or they would threaten world peace.

"Leaving matters as they are in Libya without tough intervention to curb these terrorist organizations represents a clear threat to international security and peace," it said.

"Egypt renews its call for the international coalition against the Da'esh terrorist organization ... to take the necessary measures to confront the terrorist Da'esh organization and other similar terrorist organizations on Libyan territories," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, using an Arabic acronym for the group.

The United Nations Security Council on Sunday night strongly condemned the "heinous" murder of the Egyptian Coptic Christians.

"This crime once again demonstrates the brutality of IS, which is responsible for thousands of crimes and abuses against people from all faiths, ethnicities and nationalities, and without regard to any basic value of humanity," said a press statement released by the council.

French President Francois Hollande and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, called on Monday for the UN Security Council to meet over the security situation in Libya and take new measures.

AP - AFP - Xinhua