(VOVworld) – US special operations forces have been stationed at two outposts in Libya since late last year in preparation for a possible offensive against the IS, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing US officials.

US special force soldiers talk to each other before they leave their base in Helmand, Afghanistan in this September 28, 2015. (File photo: Reuters/Omar Sobhani)

Two teams, totaling fewer than 25 troops, are operating out of the cities of Misurata and Benghazi to seek potential allies and glean intelligence on potential threats, according to the newspaper.

If the White House does authorize a broader campaign in Libya, it’s expected to be on a smaller scale than operations in Iraq and Syria.

The US has launched two airstrikes against IS targets in Libya since late 2015, but Pentagon officials have said they have also identified dozens of other targets that might be hit if a more sustained operation takes place.

US officials said on Friday that the Obama administration is ready to loosen the ban on weapons exports imposed by the UN on Libya to help in its fight against the IS.