50 Killed In Lybia Strikes --Air force

Libya's air force chief said Monday that at least 50 people had been
killed in air strikes by Egyptian and Libyan warplanes launched after
jihadists beheaded a group of Egyptian Christians.

There was no way to independently confirm the claim made by Libyan air
force chief Saqr al-Jaroushi to Egyptian television.

Jaroushi told the private CBC Extra broadcaster that Egyptian and
Libyan warplanes had struck Islamic State group targets in the country
including bases and weapons depots.

"Egypt has the right to defend its children and has struck in Derna...
the number of those killed is at least 50," he told CBC Extra in
response to a question on the number of militants killed.

Egypt's military earlier said it had launched the strikes in Libya in
response to a video released by the jihadists showing the beheadings
of 21 Egyptian Copts.

Jaroushi said there is a "high level of coordination" between Libyan
and Egyptian forces, especially regarding intelligence.

He suggested the raids had hit areas where the Libyan military has
been unable to target jihadists.

"We just want air strikes to hit some of the targets that are out of
our reach," Jaroushi said.

Oil-rich Libya has slipped into chaos since Moamer Kadhafi was killed
in 2011 during a NATO-backed revolt, with its elected government
losing control of the capital.

Pro-government forces have been battling Islamist militias who took
control of the country's biggest cities last summer after their defeat
in elections.