Earlier on Sunday, the US Department of Defense said the US military conducted a counterterrorism strike against an al Qaeda-associated target in Libya on Saturday night, but were assessing results before providing more details.
"The Libyan government in the east of Libya confirms that the US fighter jets conducted air strikes last night in a mission which resulted in the death of the terrorist Belmokhtar," Libya's recognised government said.
Belmokhtar was a leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. There have been claims in the past of his death.
In 2013, Chad's military claimed to have killed Belmokhtar, who was behind a bloody mass hostage-taking at an Algerian gas plant the same year.
It's the first publicised operation by the US forces in Libya since 2011, when longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was unseated from power in a NATO-backed revolt.
It has rival governments and parliaments, and powerful militias are battling for influence and a share of its oil wealth.
Source Al Jazeera
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