AC

The retaliatory airstrikes conducted by Egypt inside Libya early Monday were not considered to be a part of the US-led coalition effort to counter ISIS, senior U.S. defense officials tell ABC News. The strikes come after ISIS posted a new online video purporting to show the execution of 21 Egyptian Christians. Although Egypt is considered a member of the coalition, officials say these strikes in Libya were not in any way coordinated with coalition leadership and Operation Inherent Resolve. "This was not a coalition strike," a senior defense official told ABC News. "This was a decision made by the Egyptian government and I have seen no indication the U.S. was involved in any way." The U.S. is operating under strict guidelines set forth by President Obama last year that authorizes strikes against ISIS only within the boundaries of Iraq and Syria, meaning that these airstrikes targeting ISIS in Libya are the first of their kind. Senior officials say they were also unaware of any...