The Libyan authorities have arrested 32 members of a network
loyal to former leader Mu'ammar Qadhafi in connection with
Sunday's twin car bombings in Tripoli. According to a number of reports, two
people were killed by bomb blasts near a former military academy for women and
the interior ministry.
A security agency said the group had been linked to the
bombings, the first of their kind since the overthrow of Qadhafi last year. The
bomb attacks took place on the eve of the anniversary of the fall of Tripoli to
rebel fighters last year. The attacks occurred at dawn, one of them close to the
interior ministry's administrative offices, and the other near the military
academy on Omar al-Mokhtar Avenue.
Tripoli's head of security Col Mahmoud Sherif
said the blast outside the military academy left two people dead and four or
five injured. No casualties were reported from the other explosion. Sherif said
that Qadhafi supporters were responsible for the attacks. He also alleged they
were receiving financial backing from contacts in neighbouring countries.
Another official speaking to Reuters news
agency said that a connection between the group and the attacks had been
established. The attacks took place as crowds prepared for mass morning prayers
to mark Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim celebration at the end of the fasting month
Ramadan.
Earlier this month, Libya's National Transitional
Council (NTC) handed over power to a newly elected assembly, in the
first peaceful transition in the country's modern history. But outbreaks of
violence remain a frequent occurrence, which the security forces are strugging
to curtail.
Sources: BBC News, Reuters, Bloomberg For more news and expert analysis about Libya, please see Libya Focus and Libya Politics & Security.
No comments:
Post a Comment