“The recent events in Libya underline the fragile security situation in the country and the difficulties faced by the Libyan authorities in creating a stable environment, thus generating a security vacuum ready to be exploited by various militant groups,” Noman Benotman, a former Libyan jihadist who now works for the Quilliam Foundation, told msnbc.com.

Benotman said a group named the Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman Brigade has claimed responsibility for attacks in Benghazi in recent days — two against the neutral International Red Cross (ICRC) headquarters and one each against the U.S. offices in the city and the British Ambassador’s motor convoy…

The Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman Brigade, and similar groups, “take advantage of the accessibility to weapons, explosives and combat facilities available in the country since the Libyan revolution,” he said. “Inspired by a Jihadist ideology, the group can also increase its impact and attract dozens of Libyans who were previously involved in fighting to overthrow the Gadhafi regime.”