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US: Airstrike in Libya Kills Member of Al-Qaida Affiliate

by Reuters

   U.S. forces working in coordination with the Libyan government carried
   out an airstrike against an al-Qaida affiliate group southeast of Bani
   Walid this week, killing one fighter, the U.S. military said in a
   statement Thursday.

   U.S. forces are still assessing the results of the strike, which was
   undertaken in an effort to disrupt al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and
   deny the organization's fighters freedom of action, U.S. Africa Command
   said. It did not identify the slain fighter.

   It said no civilians were killed in the attack Wednesday, which took
   place about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Bani Walid, which is about
   100 miles (160 km) southeast of Tripoli.

   The attack was the second against al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb in
   recent months. A U.S. strike on March 24 killed Musa Abu Dawud, a
   high-ranking member of the group, the military said.