The United States launched multiple airstrikes against Islamic State group (I.S.) militants in Libya on Monday, opening a new, more persistent front against the group at the request of the United Nations-backed government, Libyan and U.S. officials said.
Fayez Serraj, the head of Libya’s U.N.-brokered presidency council, said in a televised statement that U.S. warplanes attacked the I.S. bastion of Sirte on the Mediterranean in northern Libya. No U.S. ground forces will be deployed, he said.
The precision strikes, which targeted an I.S. tank and vehicles, come amid growing concerns about the group’s increased threat to Europe and its ability to inspire attacks across the region, even though its numbers have been shrinking because of attacks from local forces and allied international troops.
“The presidency council, as the general army commander, has made a request for direct U.S. support to carry out specific airstrikes,” Serraj said. “The first strikes started today in positions in Sirte, causing major casualties.”
The strikes mark the start of a more intense American role in the fight against I.S. in Libya, as the U.S. steps in to assist the fragile, U.N.-backed government. They were the first strikes by the U.S. on the group in Libya since February.
Obama’s authorization for action in Sirte covers strikes, intelligence and surveillance, but not ground operations, according to a White House official, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the strikes and requested anonymity.
Serraj said his government is joining the coalition against I.S., adding: “This is the time for the international community to live up to its promises to the Libyan people.”
Serraj also noted that the strikes will not go beyond Sirte and its surroundings. He said that any other foreign intervention is not allowed without coordination.
His warning comes after several French commandos were killed fighting Islamic State militants. U.S., French, British and Italian special operations forces and military experts have been assisting Libyan troops fighting I.S. militants in eastern and western Libya.
In a statement, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said President Barack Obama authorized the strikes following a recommendation from Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“They are consistent with our approach to combating ISIL by working with capable and motivated local forces,” said Cook, using another name for I.S.
U.S. officials earlier this year estimated there were as many as 6,000 I.S. insurgents in Libya, including some who have abandoned Syria. But in recent months, officials say, their numbers in Libya have dropped and the group is weakening there under pressure from local militias and the U.N.-brokered government.
Just last week, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that I.S. fighters in Libya are facing the “distinct possibility” of defeat in their last stronghold.
And Dunford estimated in mid-July that there were only a few hundred militants still inside Sirte, which the group has used as a headquarters.
“I don’t think there is any doubt that the Islamic State in Libya is weaker than it was some months ago,” said Dunford, adding, that “They’ve suffered significant casualties in and around the Benghazi area.”
Without mentioning any future U.S. military plans in Libya, Dunford said that “whatever actions we conduct,” aside from those meant to eliminate an I.S. threat to the U.S. homeland, “are going to be in conjunction with” the U.N.-backed government of national accord.
In February, U.S. F-15E fighter-bombers struck an I.S. training camp in rural Libya near the Tunisian border, killing more than 40.
Libya slid into chaos after the ouster and killing of dictator Col. Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The power and security vacuum left the country a breeding ground for militias, and militants including I.S. and al-Qaida affiliates.
Since 2014, Libya has been split between rival governments and parliaments based in the western and eastern regions, each backed by different militias and tribes. The U.N. brokered a deal in December, which tried to mend the rift by creating a presidency council and a unity government. The deal envisions a transitional period of up to two years, followed by a vote on a draft constitution and then presidential or parliamentary elections.
Libya’s pro-government militias — mainly from the western city of Misrata — have been waging an offensive against I.S. in Sirte since May, but it has recently stalled.
