CAIRO, Mar 9 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt supports the political solution proposed by the United Nations to eradicate "the forces of terrorism" in Libya and form a new national unity government, the foreign minister said on Monday.

Addressing a convention of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri stressed that the latest developments in Libya affect Egypt's national security.

Libyan capital Tripoli has fallen under the control of the Fajr Libya or Libya Dawn Islamist militia in August 2014.

Meanwhile, Egypt and the international community only recognise authorities based in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk.  

The UN has been pushing for a political solution, sponsoring a dialogue among different Libyan parties headed by the UN special envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon.

Many Egyptians residing in Libya have been caught up in the conflict which has recently proliferated in the neighbouring country.

Egypt's air force launched coordinated airstrikes on militant targets in Libya on February 16 in response to the beheading of 20 Egyptians at the hands of militants believed to belong to the Libya division of the Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.

Egypt is also making endeavours to rally the international community behind backing a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council to lift an arms embargo on the Libyan government, enforced since 2011.

"The region is facing dangerous challenges in its war against terrorism and eradicating ignorance, extremism and dark thoughts," Shukri said on Monday.