Major powers including the United States have gathered in Vienna for a conference to discuss the expanding presence of Islamic State in Libya.

More than 20 top diplomats are to attend the conference in the Austrian capital. The newly-established unity government is backed by the international community but still faces a rival administration in the east. Last year, ISIL established a base in Libya when it overran the coastal city of Sirte, turning it into a training camp for militants.

Libya's Government of National Accord has asked its Western partners to assist its domestic forces with arms, training and intelligence-sharing. The conference is also expected to focus on the flow of illegal immigrants from Libya into Europe.