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Serbia: 2 hostages believed killed in US airstrikes in Libya

The airstrike is evidence the United States is doing everything possible to make sure ISIL does not have the ability to strike the USA homeland, Cook told reporters.

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The U.S. military has been closely monitoring Islamic State movements in Libya, and small teams of U.S. military personnel have moved in and out of the country.

A USA air strike targeted veteran Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar and other jihadists meeting in eastern Libya last June. The Islamic State controls the central city of Sirte and a number of oil installations. The US estimates the group has up to 6,000 fighters there.

He said there are many inconsistencies regarding the whole case, including the fact that Serbia kept its embassy open in Tripoli, which is controlled by the rebel forces and an unrecognised government. That house was struck Friday.

The Libyan parliament is close to endorsing a new unity government Cabinet, which could eventually seek global military intervention against Islamic State extremists.

US President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday not to let IS build a base in Libya.

On Friday, US airstrikes killed at least 30 people in the Libyan city of Sabratha.

Libya was informed of the coming attack on their soil, said Peter Cook, the Pentagon press secretary.

The foreign policy analyst and former editor of Serbia’s longest-running Politika newspaper, Bosko Jaksic, told MEE that Serbia’s participation in the US-led anti-IS coalition is extremely limited and that there will be no consequences following this incident.

Mr Davic said a protest note would be sent to Washington for failing to inform the Serbian authorities before the raid.

“The Serbian citizens and others incidentally fell victim to the conflict of foreign countries and foreign interests”, Vucic said.

The facility was linked to Noureddine Chouchane, a Tunisian blamed by his native country for attacks past year on a Tunis museum and the Sousse beach resort, which killed dozens of tourists.

A jihadist safe house was destroyed in the dawn raid about 70 kilometres (42 miles) west of Tripoli, according to Hussein al-Dawadi, an official in Sabratha near the border with Tunisia.

Official identification of the bodies was expected in the coming hours, he said. This conclusion is in line with US intelligence determinations that al-Baghdadi sees the relatively lawless, impoverished North African state as prime ground to enlarge his self-declared caliphate. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared for his safety.

“We spoke to American services today – it seems they didn’t know that Serbian nationals and other nationals were in the location that was bombed”, Vucic said, according to NBC News.

In Tunisia, Foreign Ministry spokesman Noufal el-Obaidi placed the death toll at 40 – a mix of Tunisians and Algerians – and said six Tunisians were injured, the state-run TAP news agency reported.

Sabratha is one of the main launching points for smugglers’ boats heading to Europe.

USA and European officials have in the past insisted Libyans must first form a united government and ask for help, but they also say they may still carry out unilateral action if needed.

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Officials said the British government supported Friday’s attack by allowing the American jets to take off from bases in Britain.

Official: US strikes ISIS camp in Libya