The Pentagon has announced that it’s significantly stepping its bombing campaign against ISIS forces, targeting ground objectives across the coastal Libyan city of Sirte. The city is known for being the birthplace of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was ousted by rebels and killed by militia forces in 2011.
The head of the interim Libyan presidency council, Fayez Serraj, made a direct request for US military aid. Barack Obama personally authorised the attacks.
However, Serraj insisted that any subsequent ground offensive would be conducted by Libyan army units, supported by US Air Force warplanes.