WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US forces conducted 36 airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) positions near the Libyan city of Sirte in the past three days, striking 91 Daesh fighting positions, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a press release.
"This…brings the total number of airstrikes in support of Operation Odyssey Lightning, which began Aug. 1, to 324," the release stated on Monday.
On Friday, US forces conducted 24 airstrikes, hitting 62 Daesh fighting positions and a command and control facility, the release said.
Africa Command said the airstrikes, conducted in support of Libya's Government of National Accord, will help deny the Daesh a safe haven in Libya from which it could attack the United States.
The Daesh gained a foothold in Libya in the turmoil following the 2011 ouster of the country’s longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The Islamic State, known in Arabic as Daesh, is outlawed in the United States, Russia and other countries.