Libya

Pentagon: U.S. Warplanes Continued Airstrikes

Three ground targets hit after NATO took over mission.

The Pentagon said Wednesday that U.S. warplanes hit three ground targets in Libya—after NATO assumed control of the airstrike mission. Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said U.S. fighter jets have attacked Libyan air-defense sites to support the no-fly zone, but administration officials previously said the U.S. halted airstrikes on April 4. Defense Department officials said these attacks did not contradict the White House’s claims that the U.S. is only taking a supporting role in the operations, and Lapan insisted that it was non-American warplanes that attacked Libyan military units that threatened civilians. Of the 134 missions to monitor Libyan air-defense sites since NATO took command, 97 of them have been flown by U.S. aircraft.