Local forces and the United States have both used air strikes against militants in Libya. This month U.S. war planes launched an air strike on a suspected Islamic State training camp in the western Libyan city of Sabratha, killing more than 40 people.
Islamist militants have taken advantage of political chaos and a security vacuum to expand their presence in Libya. Fighters loyal to Islamic State have taken control of the coastal city of Sirte, about 260km (160 miles) east of Bani Walid.