US military says IS member killed in Libya air strike

TRIPOLI: The US military said it carried out an air strike Tuesday in Libya, killing an Islamic State member described by a source as a former local leader of the jihadist group.

The US Africa Command said it “conducted a precision airstrike near Bani Walid, Libya, on August 28, killing one ISIS-Libya terrorist,” referring to the Islamic State group.

The strike around 170km southeast of the capital Tripoli was coordinated with the UNbacked Government of National Accord, the US military said.

“At this time, we assess no civilians were injured or killed in this strike,” the US African Command (AFRICOM) said.

A source within the Bani Walid security services said an “unidentified aircraft” targeted a pickup truck around four kilometres from the town.

The attack at 1pm (1100 GMT) killed the driver, Walid Hariba, who the source said was a former IS leader in the city of Sirte.

In June 2015 IS jihadists overran the city, 600km east of Tripoli, and Hariba reportedly fled when they were ousted the following December.

A hospital official in Bani Walid said they had received Hariba’s remains which were later released to the family, confirming his identity.

Despite being driven from Sirte by government forces and allied militias, IS remains active in Libya. — AFP