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Conflicts

Political activist among dead in Libya bomb attack

October 30, 2016

At least three people were killed and at least 12 injured in an explosion in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi. A well-known TV host appears to have been targeted in the attack.

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Libyen ARCHIV Autowrack in Benghazi
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/M. Elshaiky

The explosion rocked Benghazi's central district of al-Kesh, according to reports on the Libyan news portal Alwasat. Citing an unnamed security official, Alwasat said that the blast had been caused either by a car bomb or by an explosive under a car. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Mohammed Bougages, a political activist and a television host, is reportedly among the casualties. It is not clear whether Bougages was deliberately targeted. However, many clues are reported to indicate that the attack was indeed an assassination.

General Khalifa Haftar

Bougages was known for his outspoken support of General Khalifa Haftar, who has been leading a persistent campaign against Islamist militants in Benghazi since 2014. While celebrated in the east of the country, many in western Libya regard Haftar as an enemy of Islam, as he opposes all forms of Islamism.

Earlier in the week, the bodies of 10 unidentified men were found in a dumpster in Benghazi's Shabna suburb. The Support and Reinforcement security unit, which found the bodies, said they bore torture marks and had gunshot wounds to the head.

The country's political and financial landscapes have been under threat of collapse after five years of conflict since the fall of former dictator Moammar Ghadafi

ss/jm (dpa, AP, Reuters)