Unidentified plane strikes target in SW Libya: Official

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI, Libya

An unidentified fighter jet on Thursday struck a “moving target” in Libya's southwestern town of Awaynat, according to a local official.

The airstrike occurred in the Talawawat region, a municipal council member from the nearby town of Ghat told Anadolu Agency.

The official, speaking anonymously, said the airstrike left at least ten people dead.

Earlier, the same source said that the strike -- the first of its kind in the region -- had targeted Al-Qaeda terrorists operating in the area.

In March, a warplane struck a residential home in the city of Ubari, causing a number of casualties.

The U.S. later claimed responsibility for the strike, saying the residence had hosted several “terrorist” elements.

And in July, warplanes targeted the same area again, killing at least one person. No party ever claimed responsibility for the strike.

Since the outer and death of President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, terrorist groups have exploited the lack of any central authority to expand their presence, especially in the country’s south.