US says it carried out 3 airstrikes in Libya in 8 days

CAIRO – The U.S. military says it has carried out an airstrike against the Islamic State group in Libya, the third U.S. airstrike in the North African country in a little over a week.

These U.S. airstrikes over the last eight days are the first in Libya in over a year.

U.S. Africa Command released a statement on Friday saying 17 militants were killed in the strike, launched a day earlier in southwest Libya.

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Heidi Berg, director of intelligence at the command, vowed to continue pursuing IS militants and deny them “safe haven to co-ordinate and plan operations” in Libya.

Islamic extremists expanded their reach in Libya amid the chaos following the 2011 uprising, which killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.