U.S. begins drone strikes in Libya

A Predator carried out United States’ first unmanned aerial vehicle strike in Libya on April 23 just two days after President Barack Obama authorized the use of armed UAVs to support rebel forces fighting Moammar Ghadafi’s troops, reports Agence France-Presse.

The strike took place in early afternoon local time, but the Defense Department declined to provide information about the nature of the target or where the precision strike took place.

The use of UAVs makes it easier to target Ghadafi forces in crowded urban areas because they can approach the target lower than ground attack aircraft and furnish more precise identifications with their surveillance cameras, NATO officials said.