Egyptian authorities are due to halt the movement of trucks from Egypt to Libya on 18 July, General Anani Hassan, security director of the Matruh governorate, told state-owned Al-Ahram on Tuesday.
Authorities also declared a state of emergency from Western Alexandria to the Egyptian-Libyan border.
Hassan said they received a notification about the deteriorating security situation from the Libyan side Monday night. Following the notification, Egyptian authorities decided that only Egyptian workers leaving Libya can enter Egypt, while only Libyan migrants and Libyan trucks, driven solely by Libyans, can enter Libya, effective by Friday 18 July.
At least seven people were killed and dozens were injured in clashes around Tripoli airport on Sunday. The Tripoli airport has been closed off for the past three days. Continuous fighting between different Libyan militias had also forced the closure of the country’s main international Benghazi airport, leading to the state’s increasing isolation, AFP reported.
The third ministerial conference of Libya’s neighbouring countries proceeded on Sunday and Monday to discuss the security situation for Libya in Tunisia. In the summit, the attending countries decided to form two committees, a security committee and a political committee, to provide Libya with advisory suggestions.
The foreign ministers of Algeria, Sudan, Chad and Niger, the Egyptian deputy foreign minister and representatives of Egypt, Arab League special envoy to Libya Nacer al-Qudwa, the African Union Commissioner to Peace and Security, as well as Libya’s ambassador in Tunisia all attended the summit, Tunisian News Agency TAP reported.
