Hammond won't rule out sending troops to Libya
Philip Hammond has suggested that British ground troops could be sent into Libya in the future.
The Foreign secretary said he could not "rule anything out" when he was asked about the possibility of sending in armed forces in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph.
Libya was thrown into turmoil since a civil war in 2011 in which Nato-backed rebels ousted and killed the despotic leader of Colonel Gaddafi. The country has increasingly become a target for Islamic State rebels in the chaos that followed.
Mr Hammond said he knew that the new Libyan government would be cautious about requesting Western military support but if it did, the Government would consider it.
He told the newspaper that the southern Mediterranean was an important security interest as terrorists established there would be a threat to all of Europe, including the UK.
Mr Hammond also highlighted the proximity of Libya to Europe, saying it was just 100 miles to the Italian island of Lampedusa which is the first stop for many migrants when they arrive to the continent.
"If Daesh became established in Libya and sought to use that established base to infiltrate terrorists into Europe, that would be a threat to all of us," he said, using another name for Islamic State.