The interior ministry said the government "declares a state of security alert and raises the maximum readiness and caution for all its security services. It also called on people to "cooperate with security personnel and report any suspicious acts or security violations."

Earlier in the day, IS-linked militants riding a four-wheel drive vehicle attacked a security checkpoint, some 160 km east of the capital Tripoli, killing seven security personnel and injuring two others. The attack came less than a day after IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reportedly released an audio recording calling on his supporters to "turn to Libya and support the Mujahideen in Libya, Syria and Iraq."