Libya's U.N.-backed government requested US air strikes against Islamic State in Sirte, and the first strikes were carried out today, Prime Minster Fayez Seraj said.

"The first air strikes were carried out at specific locations in Sirte today causing severe losses to enemy ranks," he said in a statement broadcast on state TV.

Forces aligned with the U.N.-backed government have been battling Islamic State in Sirte since May.

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