Expulsion from Derna bastion may show limits for Islamic State in Libya

Members of the Libyan pro-government forces stand on a tank during their deployment in the Lamluda area, southwest of the city of Derna, Libya, June 16, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer

CAIRO/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Islamic State jihadists have exploited widespread chaos to gain a foothold in Libya, but their ejection from an eastern city suggests they may not achieve a Iraq-style takeover due to strong local rivals and the absence of sectarian divisions.

Last month, local Islamist fighters reinforced by local civilians ousted Islamic State militants from Derna on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, one of two bastions the jihadists had established in the North African oil-producing country.