U.S. Targets Islamic State in Libya With Second Airstrike in Week
US Targets Islamic State in Libya With Second Airstrike in Week
(Bloomberg) -- A U.S. airstrike killed 11 suspected Islamic State militants in southern Libya, U.S. Africa Command said, its second reported raid in a week against the extremist group that once controlled a key coastal city.
Tuesday’s strike was carried out around the town of Murzuq, the same location where a Sept. 19 attack was assessed to have left eight militants dead, according to statements.
Islamic State took root in Libya after the ouster of Moammar Al Qaddafi, seizing the central city of Sirte in 2015 and threatening to use it as a launchpad for attacks in the OPEC member and neighboring countries. It was driven out after a year by a coalition of Libyan armed groups.
--With assistance from Saleh Sarrar.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mohammed Abdusamee in Tripoli at mabdusamee@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Tarek El-Tablawy, Michael Gunn
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