The United States forces announced killing “two terrorists” in an air strike in southwestern Libya on Saturday as part of efforts to deny militants a safe haven in the country’s vast desert. The strike hit on the outskirts of the city of Ubari and was carried out in coordination with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli, the US Africa Command said in a statement. “At this time, we assess no civilians were killed in this strike,” the statement said. A house in the Fursan neighborhood was hit and two bodies were found there, a witness in Ubari told Reuters. Residents from the neighborhood said the house was frequented by foreigners, according to the witness, who did not want to be identified for security reasons. US forces have carried out occasional air strikes targeting militants in Libya over the past few years. They also launched an air campaign against ISIS in the terror group’s former Libyan stronghold of Sirte in 2016, as local forces battled to oust armed extremists from the city. Last year, the US said it had killed dozens of suspects in airstrikes in desert areas south of Sirte as it tried to stop militants regrouping. Libyan and Western officials have long warned about the risk of militants linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda using southern Libya as a base. Competing factions in Libya have fought for influence in the country’s south, where the Libyan National Army (LNA), which is aligned with the eastern-based government, recently stepped up military activity. Public violence has also flared in recent weeks in Sabha, about 170 km northeast of Ubari, displacing hundreds of families. On Saturday, LNA jets carried out strikes targeting mercenary forces southeast of Sabha, air force commander Mohamed Manfour said.