Egypt tightens border security amid Libyan unrest
Following former Gen. Khalifa Hifter’s campaign against armed Islamist groups in Libya, Egypt has partially closed its eastern border and is trying to avoid any negative repercussions of this unrest.
On the morning of May 16, the forces of Khalifa Hifter, a former Libyan army general, began a military operation dubbed "Libya's Dignity" against what he described as "terrorist" groups in Benghazi. The operation later moved to the capital, Tripoli, and has left dozens dead and hundreds wounded.
The current turmoil in Libya is directly affecting its eastern neighbor, Egypt. The two countries are linked by a shared land border stretching nearly 1,200 kilometers (745 miles), besides the presence of thousands of Egyptians living and working in various Libyan cities.
