A “high ranking” leader of jihadist group al-Qaeda in the the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was killed over the weekend in a U.S. airstrike, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
The strike carried out on Saturday was the first against al-Qaeda militants in Libya.
Pentagon said it killed “two terrorists” as part of efforts to deny militants a safe haven in the country’s vast desert.
The military had previously acknowledged the weekend strike, but had not revealed further details, including the target.
In a statement, the U.S. military said Musa Abu Dawud, the senior al Qaeda militant, had trained recruits in Libya to carry out attacks in the region.
“He provided critical logistics support, funding and weapons to AQIM, enabling the terrorist group to threaten and attack U.S. and Western interests in the region,” U.S. Africa Command said.
The Saturday strike had hit on the outskirts of the city of Ubari and was carried out in coordination with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli.
