US special forces leave Libya

A U.S. special operations forces team dispatched to Libya to work with government forces were forced out of the country on Monday by members of a local militia,, U.S. Africa Command said on Friday.

 

The deployment of a small number of U.S. forces to Libya was part of an ongoing effort to assist the Libyan government, AFRICOM said.

 

“What I can tell you is that with the concurrence of Libyan officials, U.S. military personnel traveled to Libya on Dec. 14 to foster relationships and enhance communication with their counterparts in the Libyan National Army,” said Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Falvo, an AFRICOM spokesman.

 

“While in Libya, members of a local militia demanded that the U.S. personnel depart. In an effort to avoid conflict, they did leave, without incident,” Falvo added.