The Military Times website published a very interesting article on its website: “Esper says US forces combating ISIS in Libya ‘continue to mow the lawn”
Here you can find a little exctract (the full article, wrote by Shawn Snow is available HERE):
“U.S. airstrikes targeting Islamic State fighters in Libya in September knocked out nearly one-third of the group’s fighters, but U.S. officials aren’t sweating over a massive ISIS resurgence in the country.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday while traveling to Seoul, Secretary of Defense Esper said there was nothing that “pops up as necessarily unusual” about ISIS’ presence in Libya or the spate of airstrikes that rained down on the jihadi group in September. But Esper said the issue “is a focus of our attention and operations.” (…)
Between Sept. 20 and Sept. 30, U.S. air assets conducted four airstrikes killing 43 ISIS fighters with about 100 still remaining, according to a senior U.S. defense official, who spoke with reporters on the condition of anonymity in October. (..)
The 22nd MEU flew 600 close-air support and strike missions, dropped 290 bombs, fired 164 Hellfire missiles, destroyed 25 pieces of enemy equipment and 197 defensive positions, and killed hundreds of enemy fighters in support of the Libya operation, the chronology detailed.
“My aim is to make sure that we — that in the context of the enduring defeat of ISIS, that ISIS doesn’t rise up and develop the capability, have the resources to strike the U.S. homeland,” Esper said Wednesday”.
Reapers operating over Libya are based in NAS Sigonella, Sicily.