U.S. officials say Egypt, UAE carried out airstrikes in Libya

WASHINGTON – U.S. officials say Egypt and the United Arab Emirates secretly carried out airstrikes against Islamist militias inside Libya.

They say the United States wasn’t notified in advance of the attacks.

One official says the two countries and Saudi Arabia have been supporting a renegade general’s effort for months against Libyan militant groups, but that the Saudis don’t appear to have played a role in recent strikes.

Another official says the U.S. knew about Egyptian and U.A.E. plans for a possible operation and warned them against going through with the effort.

The officials weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity. The Egyptian and U.A.E. role in the strikes was first reported by The New York Times.