U.S. launches airstrikes against IS targets in Libya
Xinhua, February 20, 2016 Adjust font size:
About 40 recruits of the Islamic State (IS) were killed in the overnight U.S. airstrikes in Libya, said U.S. local media reports, quoting military sources.
Most of the killed were believed to be from Tunisia. The airstrikes came as the White House was weighing next steps against the expanding presence of IS in Libya as the extremist group had reportedly gained control over about 240 kilometers of the Libyan coastline.
The Pentagon on Friday confirmed the U.S. military launched the overnight airstrikes against the IS targets in Libya.
According to a brief statement by Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook, the U.S. military targeted an IS training camp near Sabratha, Libya, and an IS senior leader in Libya called Noureddine Chouchane.
The statement did not say whether or not the strikes had killed Chouchane, a Tunisian national. Instead, it said the airstrikes were expected to have an "immediate impact" on IS's ability to facilitate its activities in Libya, including recruiting, establishing bases in Libya and potentially planning attacks on U.S. interests in the region.
Pentagon had earlier estimated that there were about 5,000 IS fighters operating in Libya. Endit