U.S. upbeat on Libya strike but not ready to declare militant dead

The Pentagon on Monday delivered an upbeat initial assessment of a U.S. air strike in Libya against veteran Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar over the weekend but stopped short of declaring him dead. Libya's internationally recognized government, which sits in the eastern town of Bayda, said the U.S strike had killed Belmokhtar at a gathering with other militant leaders.