Skip to content
The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

Title

Name

Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Mindanao
  • Visayas
  • National
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • International
  • SciTech
  • Health & Wellness
  • Sports
  • About Us
    • Regional Advertising Rates
    • Contact Us
    • Profile
  • Home
  • International
  • US fighter jets target ISIL in Libya for first time – Al Jazeera
  • Featured
  • International

US fighter jets target ISIL in Libya for first time – Al Jazeera

Editor August 2, 2016

US fighter jets have carried out air raids on positions of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Libyan city of Sirte for the first time, according to the country’s unity government.

“The first American air strikes on precise positions of the Daesh (ISIL) organisation were carried out today, causing heavy losses … in Sirte,” Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj said in a speech on television on Monday.

The Pentagon said the raids were launched in response to a request from the unity government, known as the Government of National Authority (GNA).

Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington DC, said the Libyan army had asked for air support after facing booby traps, mines, and roadside bombs in and around Sirte.

“ISIL made it physically very difficult to follow them as ISIL strengthens their grip on the heart of the city,” she said.

“These air strikes are a way of clearing the terrain and making it safer for Libyan troops to advance.”

The battle will become more complex as it moves closer to the centre of the city because there are many civilians there who could get caught in the crossfire, Jordan said.

Speaking to reporters, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the US would continue to carry out air raids in coordination with the GNA.

“The specific targets will be precision targets,” Cook said. “One of the targets struck today was a tank … the United States military will be rigorously involved in every step of the process.

“We don’t have an end point [for the bombing campaign] at this particularly moment of time … we certainly hope that this something that does not require a lengthy amount of time.”

The Tripoli-based GNA in May launched an assault to retake Sirte, the hometown of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, which ISIL has controlled since June 2015.

The fall of Sirte, 450 kilometres east of Tripoli, would be a major blow to the group, which has also suffered a series of setbacks in Syria and Iraq.

The battle for the city has killed around 280 pro-government fighters and wounded more than 1,500, according to medical sources attached to government forces.

The pro-GNA forces are mostly made up of militias from western Libya established during the 2011 war that overthrew Gaddafi.

A militia set up to guard the country’s main oil facilities has also been advancing on ISIL.

The GNA was formed as part of a UN-brokered power-sharing agreement reached in December, but it has yet to be endorsed by Libya’s elected parliament based outside Tripoli in the country’s east.(Al Jazeera)

Link: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/warplanes-target-isil-libya-time-160801154026785.html

fb-share-icon
Tweet 20

Continue Reading

Previous: Business empress, now super-surrogate: Can Ivanka Trump be dad’s deal-closer? – Fox News
Next: Medical Benefits of Dental Floss Unproven – ABC News

Related News

Dmitry-Medvedev
  • International

Russian official claims nations ready to supply Iran with nuclear weapons

Editor June 23, 2025
Iran-Nuclear-Sites-target
  • International

Nuclear watchdog condemns US attack on Iranian nuclear sites as ‘illegal’

Editor June 23, 2025
Hacker by Tima
  • International

South Korea’s largest telecom operator suffers mass exodus of customers over data leak

Editor June 2, 2025

Trending News

Michael Harris Conlin Wins 2025 Philippine Barista Championship, Paving the Way for Philippine Coffee on the World Stage Michael-Harris-Conlin 1
  • Sports

Michael Harris Conlin Wins 2025 Philippine Barista Championship, Paving the Way for Philippine Coffee on the World Stage

June 30, 2025
Millions At Risk: Why Chronic Disease is a Crisis We Can’t Ignore CKD1 2
  • Health

Millions At Risk: Why Chronic Disease is a Crisis We Can’t Ignore

June 27, 2025
Canon empowers students with affordable, reliable printing solutions Back to School Media Event 6 (1) 3
  • Business

Canon empowers students with affordable, reliable printing solutions

June 26, 2025
Ahead of the Curve: Moda Interni and Pedini Debut the Most Curved, Luxurious Kitchen in the Philippines Goldwin_and_Francesco_1 .jpeg 4
  • Business

Ahead of the Curve: Moda Interni and Pedini Debut the Most Curved, Luxurious Kitchen in the Philippines

June 26, 2025
New beginnings: Xiaomi Launches Xiaomi YU7, Xiaomi MIX Flip 2, Xiaomi Pad 7S Pro 12.5, and various AIoT Devices in Beijing MixFlip2-June26-KV1 5
  • Business

New beginnings: Xiaomi Launches Xiaomi YU7, Xiaomi MIX Flip 2, Xiaomi Pad 7S Pro 12.5, and various AIoT Devices in Beijing

June 26, 2025
  • Facebook
  • X
  • YouTube
  • Blog
Copyright © 2025. The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper. All Rights Reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.