Libyan authorities say they have found 18 bodies buried in a mass grave in the central coastal city of Sirte, a former stronghold of the Islamic State group in the conflict-stricken North African nation.

Local media reports say a court in the Indian Ocean island of Comoros sentenced former President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi on Monday to life in prison for illegally selling off Comoros passports.

CAIRO Egypts president Saturday warned that an attempt by Turkey-backed forces in Libya to attack the strategic city of Sirte would cross a red line" and trigger a direct Egyptian military intervention in the conflict. El-Sissi's strong comments come after Libyan fighters allied with the Tripoli-based government earlier this month advanced toward Sirte, the gateway to oil facilities in Libyas south. That move ignored an Egyptian initiative, backed by the east-Libya camp, to stop fighting and embark on peace talks. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. Cavusoglu said Friday that Turkey would work with Italy to create a lasting peace and political solution in Libya.