News agencies said the attacks hit an area near Sabratha west of Tripoli. The AFP news agency said at least 40 people were killed.
There were no immediate details on the reported airstrikes, including which nation carried them out.
But the New York Times, citing a Western official, reported the mission involved U.S. warplanes targeting a suspected Islamic State figure, Noureddine Chouchane, who is believe to be key plotter in two major attacks last year on tourist sites in neighboring Tunisia.
The New York Times report said officials were seeking information on whether Chouchane was killed in the attack.
The Tunisia attacks appeared aimed at crippling the vitial tourism industry in Tunisia, a popular spot for Europeans and others. In March, gunmen killed 22 people at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis. In June, attackers stormed a beach in the resort of Sousse, killing 38 people.
The Islamic State has taken advantage of political chaos in Libya — which is divided between two rival governments — to increase its footholds in North Africa.
So far, U.S.-led military pressure against the Islamic State has concentrated on Iraq and Syria. But the United States and allies have been studying possible increased military action against the militant group in Libya.
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