U.S. bombers hit Islamic State militants in Libya -U.S. defense officials

WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. B-2 bombers carried out air strikes against Islamic State camps outside of Sirte, Libya, on Wednesday night, killing dozens of militants, U.S. defense officials said on Thursday. More than 80 Islamic State (Isis) militants were killed in overnight US precision air strikes conducted near Sirte, Libya, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Thursday (19 January) — the eve of his final day in office. Two U.S. defense officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strikes were carried out 28 miles (45 km) southwest of Sirte against two camps and done in cooperation with Libya's U.N.-backed Government of National Accord. A statement from Libya’s U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli said the strikes were “preemptive steps to foil attempts” by Islamic State to stage new attacks on Sirte as well as other areas of the country. According to initial analysis, the strikes were successful in destroying IS camps, the Pentagon spokesman said, noting that "their destruction will degrade ISIL's ability to threaten the Libyan people or disrupt efforts to stabilise Sirte after its liberation". Speaking on his last day in office, Carter said the targets “certainly are people who were actively plotting operations in Europe, and may also have been connected with some attacks that have already occurred in Europe.”

The air assault came a month after the United States had officially wrapped up its military operations in and around Sirte.
U.S. B-2 stealth bombers strike two ISIL camps, south of the city of Sirte, Libya, killing more than 80 militants, according to United States Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.