US airstrike kills 11 IS militants in southern Libya

The US Africa Command reports IS militants but no civilians were killed in a strike on Libya’s southern region known for its lawlessness.

MENA

1 min read

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25 September, 2019

The US military regularly carries out airstrikes in Libya against Al-Qaeda and IS [Getty]

The US Africa Command announced an airstrike carried out on Tuesday on Murzuq in southern Libya killed eleven members of the Islamic State group.

A statement released by the command on Wednesday said the strike was carried out in coordination with the internationally-recognised Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA).

William Gayler, the director of the command’s operations, said: “This airstrike was conducted to eliminate ISIS terrorists and deny them the ability to conduct attacks on the Libyan people.''

“This effort demonstrates the resolve of the US and our Libyan partners to deny safe havens to terrorists,” he added.

The statement added that no civilians were killed as a result of the operation.

The porous border along southern Libya on top of the political chaos following the NATO-backed overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 has attracted many foreign mercenaries and militants fighting over the country’s oil-rich region.

A power struggle between the GNA and a parallel administration led by strongman Khalifa Haftar in the east has added to the lawlessness of the no-man’s land in country's vast desert south.

The US military regularly carries out airstrikes in Libya against Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.