A suicide bomber blew himself up in the Libyan city of Derna on Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding five more as rival militants fought on the streets, local residents said. Officials could not confirm the blast in Derna, which is at the center of internecine fighting between Islamic State militants and a rival brigade of Islamist groups battling for control of the city. Residents said Islamic State loyalists and Islamist umbrella group Majlis al-Shura had been fighting since last week. Islamic State has thrived in the North African oil producer since two rival governments began fighting for control, leaving a security vacuum four years after the civil war that ended the rule of Muammar Gaddafi. European states have grown particularly alarmed at Islamic State's expansion beyond its strongholds in Iraq and Syria to a chaotic country just over the Mediterranean. Nine suspected Islamic State members were killed during separate clashes on Friday with other Islamist groups, a source in one of those movements said. Seven people were also shot dead on Friday at a protest against Islamic State. Demonstrators, angered at foreign fighters coming in to join the militant group, started marching towards its main base when gunmen opened fire into the crowd, several residents told Reuters. The fighting in Derna, a long-time gathering point for jihadists, erupted last week after a Majlis al-Shura leader was killed. The group, which is linked to former rebel groups who fought Gaddafi and enjoys local support going back to the revolution, responded by declaring holy war against Islamic State in the city.
