Mediaboss Marketing

Everyone out. Right away. The message by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) at the end of January didn't leave any room for interpretation: The situation in Libya is tense. Reason for that security warning was the recent attack on the Corinthia Hotel in Tripolis where gunmen killed nine people - five of them were Britons.

Terror organization "Islamic State" (IS) has claimed responsibility for the attack. IS as well as other terror groups such as Ansar-al-Sharia are likely to carry out attacks on foreigners again, the FCO statement said.

In addition to the risk of being kidnapped, foreigners could also be caught in indiscriminate gunfire or shelling.

The German Foreign Office also advises German citizens not to travel to Libya. Citizens from Western countries run the risk of being kidnapped at all times, the agency states.

The terror organizations also target citizens from other regions. At the beginning of January, Christian foreign workers from Egypt were kidnapped. A few days later, Copts in the port city of Sirte were taken. Their whereabouts are still not known.

Where are Tunisian journalists Sofiene Chourabi and Nadhir Ktari?

It's also unclear what happened to the two Tunisian journalists Sofiane Chourabi and Nadir Chetari. Both disappeared in the Libyan province of Ajdabiya in September of last year. At the beginning of January, a jihadist website reported that both had been killed. This has caused a stir in Tunisia and saw many people taking to the streets to commemorate them. A few days later, the Tunisian foreign ministry said it had obtained new information about the whereabouts of the two - what meant little else than that they believe they are still alive.

Some Libyans sympathize with the Islamists

IS systematically makes use of the chaotic conditions in Libya. For months, rivaling governments fought for power. After two days of negotiations in Geneva, the General National Congress which is not the internationally recognized government said it would continue to partake in future talks if it were granted a seat within the country's political sphere.

But to this date, the two rivals compete for power. And the IS exploits that, says Libya expert Hasni Abidi, Director of the Geneva-based Study and Research Center for the Arab and Mediterranean World. IS was especially active in the country's Southeast, he said. Some of the regions are no longer under the control of regional authorities. "Furthermore, some of the citizens in Tripoli, Bengasi and other cities sympathize with IS," he said.

Read more:
'Islamic State' encroaching on Libya