The Pentagon said Washington was prepared to carry out more air strikes against the ISIL Takfiri militants in Sirte if requested by Libya’s UN-backed government.

But the Pentagon noted that ISIL no longer controls much territory in Libya.

Since August the United States has carried out more than 350 air strikes against ISIL at the request of the Government of National Accord (GNA). However, none have been carried out since Oct. 31, officials said.

“If additional air strikes are needed, we will be prepared to deliver those air strikes,” Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said at a news conference.

ISIL took full control of Sirte, a city of some 80,000 inhabitants, in early 2015. Its loss would leave the jihadist group without any territorial control in Libya.

Libyan forces have the remaining militants in Sirte surrounded in part of the Ghiza Bahriya neighborhood. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, estimated that only a few blocks of the city were controlled by a few dozen ISIL militants.

Source: Reuters