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US military carries out more airstrikes in Libya

Friday, 29 September 2017 2:27 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 29 September 2017 2:28 AM ]

The US military has carried out more air strikes against Daesh militants in Libya, killing several fighters, the US Africa Command said Thursday.

The United States military has carried out more airstrikes against the Daesh terrorist group in Libya, the US Africa Command has said.

The strikes which took place on Tuesday about 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of the Mediterranean city of Sirte killed several Daesh militants, AFRICOM said in a statement on Thursday.

Daesh "and Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Libya to establish sanctuaries for plotting, inspiring, and directing terror attacks; recruiting and facilitating the movement of foreign terrorist fighters; and raising and moving funds to support their operations," AFRICOM said.

US jets targets inside Libya on Sunday, first time since President Donald Trump took power in January.

In August last year, the US military conducted airstrikes in Libya to target the Daesh stronghold of Sirte, marking the first time the United States has carried out such operations in the North African country since 2011.

Sirte, the major stronghold of Daesh outside Iraq and Syria, fell to the Takfiri terrorists in February 2015. The full recapture of the city would be a major boost to the unity government, which has come to office through support from the United Nations.