TRIPOLI, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army confirmed Tuesday that its air force carried out three airstrikes on terrorist targets near the city of Sirte, some 450 km east of the capital Tripoli.
After monitoring al-Qaida terrorists who fled from Benghazi, Libyan air force fighter jets carried out an airstrike in the morning and two others in the afternoon on terror positions 60 km south of Sirte, the military spokesman Ahmad Mismari said in a statement.
"The airstrikes were precise and our fighter jets returned to their bases safely," Mismari added.
Islamic State terrorists are active in the desert of Sirte as well as southern Libya, which is dominated by the rugged desert and valleys.
The Benghazi Defense Brigades, a coalition of extremist groups that fights the army in the eastern city Benghazi, has launched several attacks in eastern cities in Libya.
In the most recent attack on the southern airbase of Brak in June 2017, 141 army soldiers were killed.
The eastern-based army, led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar, last year expelled the armed group from Jufra town, some 240 km south of Sirte, forcing them to flee into the nearby valleys and desert areas.
