The U.S. military conducted an airstrike in Libya early today targeting an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant training camp near Sabratha, and Noureddine Chouchane, also known as "Sabir," a Tunisian national who was an ISIL senior facilitator in Libya associated with the training camp, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.
In May, Tunisian authorities named Chouchane as a suspect in a deadly March 18 attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis, Cook said in a written statement.
Chouchane also facilitated the movement of potential ISIL-affiliated foreign fighters from Tunisia to Libya and onward to other countries, Cook added.
Immediate Impact on ISIL in Libya
“Destruction of the camp and Chouchane's removal will eliminate an experienced facilitator and is expected to have an immediate impact on ISIL's ability to facilitate its activities in Libya, including recruiting new ISIL members, establishing bases in Libya, and potentially planning external attacks on U.S. interests in the region,” Cook said.
Officials are assessing the results of the operation, the press secretary added.
“This strike demonstrates we will go after ISIL whenever it is necessary, using the full range of tools at our disposal,” Cook said in his statement.