Cairo, Feb 17 (IANS): The Egyptian government said Monday that it has enforced a travel ban to Libya after the Islamic State (IS) jihadi group beheaded 21 Egyptians Sunday.

"We have thousands of Egyptians in Libya and we are in contact with them, directly or through third parties,” Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Badr Abdel-Atty told reporters in Cairo, according to a Xinhua report.

“We are coordinating with the (Libyan) government along with heads of different tribes in order to secure their safety and provide facilities for those who would like to return to Egypt," he added.

Egypt Monday carried out airstrikes on IS targets in Libya, a day after the group released a video purporting to show the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in the neighbouring country. At least 40 suspected IS fighters were reported to be killed in the Egyptian airstrikes.

The Guardian reported Monday that at least 35 more Egyptians were rounded up by the IS in retaliation for the air raids, though there was no confirmation of this from the Egyptian government.