US kills four Islamic State terrorists in Libya strike

The United States killed four Islamic State terrorists in a strike near Bani Walid, Libya earlier today, according to a US Forces Africa Command (AFRICOM) press release.

The US has conducted three counterterrorism strikes in Libya in 2018, AFRICOM’s Major Karl J. Wiest confirmed to Long War Journal. On Mar. 24, US forces conducted a strike near Ubari which killed Musa Abu Dawud, a high-ranking al Qaeda leader in Libya, along another jihadist the US said held a leadership position.

AFRICOM also conducted a strike against the Islamic State near Fuqaha on Jan. 23 which destroyed two vehicles, according to Major Wiest.

In 2016, the United States conducted a record 497 strikes in Libya, nearly all of which supported a Libyan operation to recapture the coastal city of Sirte from the Islamic State. Since the end of that operation, strikes have declined dramatically. Limited strikes against the Islamic State do, however, serve as a reminder of the group’s resilience. In early May, the Libya branch responded to a call to target elections, killing at least twelve.

“The United States will not relent in its mission to degrade, disrupt, and destroy terrorist organizations and bring stability to the region. We are committed to maintaining pressure on the terror network and preventing terrorists from establishing safe haven,” AFRICOM said in the statement.

Alexandra Gutowski is the senior military affairs analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

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5 Comments

  • Brian L. says:

    Susan Rice later confirmed that the US airstrike was in reality just a peaceful demonstration against a hateful internet video that later got out of hand. Hate how that happens. 🙂

  • Telh says:

    Good work. Their numbers are reducing and Allah doesn’t care

  • Unfortunately, without long-term ‘nation building’ (paid for by the West), there is no solution to the ‘terrorist’ and migration problems.
    Climate change might be a crude ?solution? because it will probably kill almost everyone but the people of technology savvy rich nations (like Israel, Australia), outside the temperate zones of the world. These condemned populations will do anything to escape their inevitable fate and simplistic walls or even oceans will not stop them! They will also develop or steal crude nuclear weapons as their technology becomes more accessible. Please remember this is what happened to our conventional weapons. AFIK Pakistan’s nuclear development technology was originally stolen from the EU and then shared with both Libya and North Korea for small donations.

  • Adam says:

    One terrorist and three civilians, they are terrorist cousins.

  • irebukeu says:

    Terrible how the deaths of 4 American civilians has become part of a punch line for political jokes. I do hate how that happens. Would the fallen approve of how they are remembered? That damn video was well connected to those deaths. Mayhem raged across the middle east that week connected to the video. The embassy in Egypt was breached by unarmed protesters on the morning of the 11th. The consulate in Libya was attacked on the night of the 11th. Both groups of attackers claiming the video as motivation. Friday 15th was feared. No one knew what the result would be or where it would end. Jihadists were putting out the call “cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war” in the way they always do. Americans had already been killed. Friday is the traditional day for protests. Friday came and bodies of Muslims started to be piled up connected to that video. That Friday the Taliban staged an attack and dedicated it to that videos outrage. Perhaps the 20 attackers on that martyrdom mission were extra-motivated by the video. Who can say? We can only say that they took the time to dedicate the attack to the outrage of the video for their own reasons.
    The attack that Friday, disabled an entire Marine air wing (VMA-211) and killed the American Lt.Col commanding it. Worst day for Marine aviation since Tet is now connected to that video.
    That was the end of the week that Friday. No one knew where this was going. Saturday came and the protests continued, ended or started up anew. More bodies piled up. In Libya people protested against the the video at one event and against the destruction of the consulate at another. The very next morning Susan Rice shows up on TV. I hate to defend Susan Rice or Hillary as I find so much of their ideology upsetting.
    People seem to be implying an argument exists, that the video in the real world didn’t matter and only incorrect speculation about a protest at an exact spot and at an exact time matters. They claim that Libya somehow was insulated from everything else in the middle east that week and they never explain how they know that or why this “protest” matters so much. Never. I think Hillary even asked once ‘what difference does it make’ but even that was taken out of context and turned into a joke. Its a strange argument unsupported by any evidence whatsoever. A huge ‘nothing-burger’. I guess that is why they don’t make any claim except through the use of jokes that can be sidestepped but there are Americans at risk thousands of miles from home and I ain’t laughing at these jokes. 🙁
    I meant no personal offense and I’ll give credit for how you parsed it up and turned it all around. Ever consider Politics?
    Everyone is hiring.

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