The U.S. forces in Libya are temporarily leaving as the security situation on the ground has grown “increasingly complex and unpredictable,” the head of U.S. Africa Command, Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, said in a statement on Sunday.
- Waldhauser didn’t specify where the troops were relocating, or for how long.
- Forces loyal to Gen. Khalifa Hifter have been fighting with the U.N.-backed government over the last few days, the Washington Post reports, as Hifter advanced on Tripoli, the country’s financial hub.
- On Sunday morning, the warring factions “had begun attacking from the air, using the small and primitive air forces at their command,” the New York Times reports.
- AFRICOM said in its statement that the U.S. mission in Libya focuses on counter-terrorism activities, diplomatic missions, and more.
- “U.S. Africa Command remains committed to a secure and stable Libya, which contributes to regional security,” the statement reads. “U.S. Africa Command will continue to monitor conditions on the ground in Libya, and assess the feasibility for renewed U.S. military presence, as appropriate.”