Pompeo speaks over phone with Egyptian FM on Libya, ties

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke over phone on Monday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Libya and bilateral ties, said the US State Department.

The two shared concern over prolonged violence and instability in Libya, agreeing on the need to achieve a political solution to the conflict, said the department in a statement.

Pompeo and Shoukry also discussed the fight against the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda, as well as bilateral ties and important regional security issues, the statement added.

Also on Monday, the US Embassy in Libya expressed concern over attacks on civilian airports in western Libya, as the armed conflict between Libya's UN-backed government and the rival eastern-based army continues.

Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.