WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US forces carried out three airstrikes against the Daesh near the Libyan city of Sirte on Thursday, the Africa Command said in a press release.
The three US airstrikes hit three Daesh fighting positions, the release stated on Friday.
On August 1, US forces launched Operation Odyssey Lightning in support of Libya’s Government of National Accord.
The Africa Command said it had conducted 470 airstrikes against Daesh positions since the operation began.
The airstrikes, conducted in coordination with the Libyan government, are intended to help deny the Daesh terror group a safe haven on Libyan territory 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 terror group, also known as Daesh in Arabic, is outlawed in Russia, the United States and other countries.
