The U.S. launched a series of airstrikes against a suspected Islamic State base in Libya on Friday morning. Noureddine Chouchane, the commander tied to the Souse attack in Tunisia, could be among those who were killed.
There is no official word yet confirming Chouchane's death, but he was reportedly holed up in the terror camp near Sabratha west of Tripoli along with several ISIS fighters. A still unidentified source from the U.S. government has so far claimed that at least 30 militants were killed, according to The New York Times. The death toll, however, could reach as high as 40, the Washington Post reported.
Chouchane is blamed for at least two major attacks in Tunisia last year. The first involved the massacre last March at the National Bardo Museum where 22 people were killed, the Independent reported. The second was perpetrated last June at a coastal beach resort at Souse. Thirty-eight were killed in this incident, including 30 Britons who were on holiday in Tunisia.
The Islamic State has been increasing its presence in the two African countries. The spate of violence it has undertaken in Tunisia, for instance, seems to be designed to cripple its tourism industry. On the other hand, it is able to entrench itself in Libya due to the on-going political crisis in the country.
There is no information yet whether other countries were involved in the Libyan airstrike.
