Country Report on Terrorism 2024 - Chapter 1 - Libya

Country Overview:  Libyan government officials continued to work with U.S. counterparts to combat terrorism; however, fractured security institutions limited cooperation.  Despite the ongoing political impasse, terrorist groups such as ISIS and AQIM were unable to regroup or successfully exploit the political divisions.  In 2024, terrorists remained significantly degraded in terms of numbers and capacity but remain a threat.

The Government of National Unity, which controls northwestern Libya, and the Libyan National Army (LNA), which controls Libya’s East and most of its South, are reliable and willing U.S. counterterrorism partners.  Due to Libya’s fractured political situation, coordination between relevant authorities largely occurred on an ad hoc basis.  Libya lacks a comprehensive counterterrorism law, but the Libyan penal code criminalizes offenses that threaten national security, including terrorism, the promotion of terrorist acts, and the handling of money in support of such acts.  Libya’s porous southern border remained nominally under LNA control, but the LNA relied on local armed groups, mercenaries, and foreign fighters to police it.  The LNA conducted effective counterterrorism operations in the south on a limited basis.  Libya’s efforts to counter terrorist financing are consistent with previous years.

2024 Terrorism Trends:  There were no confirmed terrorist incidents in Libya.

Associated documents