The US military has formally announced the end of operations in the Libyan city of Sirte following the recent capturing of the coastal city from the clutches of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group (ISIL).
Washington began its military campaign in Libya – known as Operation Odyssey Lightning – on August 1, under the pretext of helping the Libyan unity government in a fight against the Takfiri group, which rose to power in the oil-rich country in 2011.
“The United States Africa Command concluded Operation Odyssey Lightning December 19, following an announcement from the Libyan government of the end of offensive military operations in Sirte,” the Pentagon said in a statement on Tuesday.
“In partnership with the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), the operation succeeded in its core objective of enabling GNA-aligned forces to drive Daesh (ISIL) out of Sirte,” it added.
Africa Command claimed that the US had conducted a total of 495 airstrikes against…