导读:美军对利比亚境内伊斯兰国发动空袭，是人道主义援助还是越帮越忙？
The United States has carried out air strikes on positions of so-called Islamic State (IS) in Libya, following a request by the UN-backed government there, the Pentagon says.
美国五角大楼表示，这次空袭是应联合国支持的利比亚全国团结政府(GNA)的要求对利比亚境内的“伊斯兰国”发动空袭。
The strikes targeted positions in the port city of Sirte, an IS stronghold.
本次空袭的目标区域是利比亚境内“伊斯兰国”据点，苏尔特地区。
Libyan PM Fayez Sarraj, in a televised address, said the strikes caused "heavy losses".
利比亚过渡政府领导人法耶兹·萨拉杰在电视讲话中表示，此次空袭造成严重伤亡。
Western powers have become increasingly concerned at IS’s growing presence in Libya.
伊斯兰国在利比亚境内势力越来越大引起西方大国担忧。
The air strikes are the first such US military intervention co-ordinated with the Libyan unity government.
此次空袭是美军和利比亚团结政府首次合作，联合打击伊斯兰国。
There have been two previous US attacks on IS targets in Libya - last February and in November.
此前美军曾在2月底和11月对利比亚境内的IS势力发动两次袭击。
The Pentagon said Monday’s strikes, authorised by President Barack Obama, were in support of government forces currently fighting IS militants.
五角大楼说，美国总统授权实施这次空袭，目的是给团结政府的部队提供支援。
These actions and those we have taken previously will help deny ISIL a safe haven in Libya from which it could attack the United States and our allies, the Pentagon statement continued, using another term for IS.
五角大楼在声明中还提到“不管是此次空袭还是之前的军事打击都会帮助我们打击ISIL势力（伊拉克和黎凡特伊斯兰国，是西方媒体和政治家们对极端组织的称呼），避免叙利亚成为极端组织的避风港，使极端组织有机会攻击美国以及我们的盟友。”
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the strikes hit "precision targets", including a tank, in response to a request from the Libyan administration in the past few days.
五角大楼的发言人库克称，在过去的几天里，应利比亚政府要求，空袭击中了一些“精准目标”，其中包括一辆坦克。
It now appears the US has formally started a sustained air campaign to degrade the IS group’s capabilities in Sirte. The jihadists have been losing ground there in recent months, but the armed groups fighting it have been witnessing an increasingly high death toll.
照目前的情况来看，美国已经正式对利比亚境内的极端组织发动连续空袭，旨在削弱其在苏尔特地区的势力。在最近几个月里，伊斯兰国在该地区节节败退，但是美军自己的伤亡人数也在攀升。
An advanced air campaign could speed up the removal of IS militants from their biggest stronghold in the country. The Pentagon has carefully attributed its latest move to the unity government’s request to help its forces.
高水平的空袭将加速打击苏尔特地区极端组织的军事力量，苏尔特地区是伊斯兰国在利比亚最大的军事据点。
But these anti-IS forces are only loosely allied to the government in Tripoli. The wider military and militia forces across Libya are still embroiled in local rivalry. In the aftermath of campaigns of this kind, the US, and other countries involved in Libya, will probably be left with more questions than answers over the stability of the country and the local forces they backed.
利比亚境内的反IS力量则表现欠佳，和政府军队的配合松散主要集中于首都的黎波里。许多军事势力和民兵武装依然在不断地卷入当地纠纷。围绕利比亚的政局稳定，美军及其盟友的空袭很可能会留下更多的问号而非答案。
The government began an offensive against IS fighters in Sirte in May and said two weeks ago that it had made its largest gains to date.
利比亚政府表示已在三月对苏尔特地区的IS发动袭击，而且在两周前取得了迄今为止最大的收获。
Western officials say the number of IS militants in Libya, previously estimated at 6,000, is declining in the face of concerted government action and pressure from other militia.
西方官员表示之前利比亚境内的IS军事武装力量大约有6000左右，现在在政府军队和其他盟友的联合军事打击下已经有所下降。
Mr Cook said fewer than 1,000, possibly several hundred, remained in Sirte, and no US forces were on the ground in connection with "this operation".
库克表示现在在苏尔特地区的IS武装力量不足1000人，可能只有几百人。而且没有陆军参与到此次行动中。
Libya has become increasingly divided since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with competing governments and rival militias seeking to gain territory and influence.
自从2011年卡扎菲政府倒台后，利比亚国内政局更迭，不同的军事力量相互开火争夺权力和在该地区的影响力。
The chaos had left Libya vulnerable to an influx of IS fighters, many from Syria.
利比亚国内的动荡使它在IS的打击下不堪一击，利比亚的很多IS武装力量都来自叙利亚。
The United States has voiced strong backing for the unity government, or Government of National Accord, which began operating from the capital, Tripoli, in April.
团结政府或称全国和解政府（这是联合国承认的利比亚境内唯一的合法政府）从四月起在利比亚首都的黎波里开始临时执政，该政府得到美国的公开支持。
US Secretary of State John Kerry declared in May that it was the "only way to generate the cohesion necessary to defeat Daesh [IS]".
美国国务卿克里在5月宣布：支持团结政府是能够联合利比亚国内力量打击IS武装力量的唯一出路。
