The speaker of Libya's east-based parliament urged Egypt on Wednesday to make good on its threat to send troops to fight rival Turkey-backed western Libyan forces should they attack the strategic city of Sirte, Egypt's state news agency reported.
Libya has for years been split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments.
Eastern-based forces under commander Khalifa Hifter launched an offensive in April last year to try to capture the capital, Tripoli, from the U.N.-supported government there. Hifter's forces are backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, while the Tripoli-allied militias are aided by Qatar, Italy and Turkey.