Egypt, UAE embassies attacked in Libya

A car bomb went off outside the Egyptian embassy in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, causing some damage to the building but no injuries.

A Libyan security official told the Associated Press news agency that shortly after the blast, which took place early on Thursday morning, another car bomb was discovered near the embassy of the United Arab Emirates. It is unclear why that car bomb did not explode.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to media.

Both embassies, along with most diplomatic missions, foreign and international organisations have been closed for months as Islamist-allied armed groups seized Tripoli after weeks of fierce fighting.

The blasts followed a series of car bombs on Wednesday mainly in towns under the control of the internationally recognised government, based in the eastern city of Tobruk, which is facing a challenge from a rival government set up in Tripoli.

A Reuters news agency witness said the Egyptian embassy bomb had slightly damaged buildings and some stores, but it was not clear if the embassy had been hit.

There were no immediate details of whether embassies were the target of the bombs or whether any staff or security guards were in the buildings at the time.

Three years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is caught up in growing unrest as rival armed factions compete for power and control of the OPEC country’s oil resources.

One faction has taken over Tripoli, setting up its own government and parliament and forcing the elected parliament and administration of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni to operate out of Tobruk.

Both sides have routinely accused each other of seeking support from neighbouring regional powers, and many embassies and embassy staff have left the capital after armed clashes and the takeover of the city in the summer.

Rivals of Thinni’s government say neighbouring Egypt has lent support to a renegade former Libyan army general, Khalifa Haftar, who is leading a campaign to drive armed factions out of the eastern city of Benghazi. His foes say he has received air support from Egypt, which is worried about the spread of fighters alligned with radicals.

International efforts led by the United Nations to mediate between the rival factions have so far failed to broker a ceasefire or bring the North African state’s main armed actors to the negotiating table.

Source: Punchng