Egypt said on 16 February that it had carried out airstrikes against Sunni Islamist militants in Libya in response to the release of a video showing Egyptian Coptic Christians being beheaded.
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| Egypt Says It Has Bombed Militants In Libya. |
"The airstrikes hit their targets precisely and the falcons of our air forces returned safely to their bases,"
The Egyptian military said in a statement. "We affirm that avenging Egyptian blood and retaliating against criminals and killers is a duty we must carry out."
The Egyptian military also released a video of an F-16 that appeared to be unarmed leaving its hangar at night, and several more taking off.
The strikes hit targets in the eastern Libyan city of Darnah and were carried out in co-ordination with the Libyan Air Force, its commander, Brigadier General Saqr al-Jurushi.
Amateur video footage posted on the internet purportedly showed a residential area of Darnah that was damaged in the airstrikes.
The video showing the Copts being killed was released by Wilayat Tarabulus: an affiliate of the Islamic State operating in the western Libyan province of Tripoli.
Another Islamic State affiliate, Wilayat al-Barqah, operates in Darnah, where it has clashed with rival Sunni militant group Ansar al-Sharia.
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