WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni on Tuesday did not rule out the possibility of providing access to the country’s military bases, in particular Naval Air Station Sigonella, to Washington to support the US campaign in Libya.
“We have a range of capabilities at various locations in the region that will allow us to carry out these airstrikes,” Balzanza said. “Operational security precludes me from providing further details, but I can tell you that the operations were conducted with proper notification and coordination of our partner nations.”
On Monday, the Department of Defense announced that the US military had conducted airstrikes against Daesh jihadists in Libya at the invitation of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA).
“The US military, under US Africa Command, will provide support to GNA-aligned forces, to include key information about the fight in Sirte, and manned and unmanned airstrikes against IS-Libya targets inside Sirte,” Baldanza added.
Libya has been in a state of civil unrest since May 2014. The United Nations helped to bring about a ceasefire in late 2015, and on March 31, the UN-backed Government of National Accord took office in Tripoli.
Daesh, which is outlawed in Russia, the United States and many other countries, gained presence in Libya in the years following the overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
