The Libyan government said a U.S. led airstrike killed veteran Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, according to Reuters.(Photo: HO, AFP/Getty Images)
The U.S. launched an airstrike in Libya against a terrorist leader with ties to al-Qaeda Saturday, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The Libyan government and U.S. officials said the strike likely killed veteran Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, according to the Associated Press.
"We are assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information as and when appropriate," Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said.
Belmokhtar is considered the mastermind behind the 2013 attack on an internationally run gas plant in Algeria, in which many Western workers were held hostage. At least 35 people were killed in that attack, including three Americans.
Libyan officials said they consulted with the U.S. prior to the strike.
This was the first airstrike the U.S. has conducted in Libya since the 2011 NATO mission that helped oust Moammar Gadhafi, according to
The New York Times.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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