Soldier killed in attack by suspected Islamist militants

Suspected Islamist militants attacked a military checkpoint in northeastern Libya on Wednesday, killing one soldier, residents and officials said.

A witness said that about a dozen armed vehicles had been used in the dawn attack against a checkpoint 60 km (37 miles) south of the city of Ajdabiya, run by the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA).

Islamic State militants have launched several attacks against LNA checkpoints in recent months.

The jihadists have been trying to regroup from desert bases since losing their former stronghold of Sirte, about 390 km west of Ajdabiya, last December, Reuters reports.