DUBAI, June 29 (Xinhua) -- A United Arab Emirates (UAE) senior official praised on Friday the complete liberation of the city of Darna, saying this was "a positive step in the eradication of terrorism in sisterly Libya."

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said through his Twitter account: "A small extremist group can not impose its extremist vision by the force of arms and violence."

Commander of Libya's eastern-based army, General Khalifa Haftar, on Thursday announced taking over the whole eastern city of Darna after defeating the extremists there.

On May 3, the Libyan army launched a military operation to recapture Darna from the grip of an organization called the Shura Council of the Mujahideen in Darna, a coalition of Islamist militias seeking to implement Sharia law in the city.

The army has besieged the city since 2015, and demanded the group to leave Darna, accusing it of being loyal to al-Qaida.

Libya has been suffering from unrest and insecurity since its former leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an uprising in 2011.