US Kills 11 in South Libya Strike as UN Warns of Escalation

US says target was 'suspected militants'

US Africa Command issued a statement on Wednesday reporting that airstrikes against the southern Libyan town of Murzuq killed at least 11 people. The US statement declared everyone slain a “suspected militant.”

The US statement said they intended to kill ISIS members, and they believe they did so. This is the second strike against Murzuq in the past week by the US, with everyone slain as yet an unnamed “suspect.”

The UN expressed concern about the strikes, warning that “the conflict risks escalating to a full-blown civil war,” and faulting “external actors” for their involvement in the clashes.

The UN envoy for Libya also reported that over 100 civilians have been reported killed in Murzuq in the past two months, which makes the US claim that everyone they killed was a “suspect” a little more troubling.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.