Libya's interior minister escapes 'well-planned' assassination attempt in capital
Libya’s interior minister, Fathi Bashagha, has survived a "well-planned" assassination attempt by gunmen in the capital Tripoli.
According to a statement by the ministry, the gunmen encroached on Bashagha’s convoy on an armored Toyota truck fitted with a machine gun, and opened fired on the motorcade, as the minister was on his way “returning from his residence in Janzur.”
One of Bashagha’s guards and one of the assailants were killed in an exchange of fire that followed.
An interior ministry official confirmed that Bashagha is safe and unharmed.
The guards pursued the escaping vehicle, but it overturned and they were able to arrest two people at last.
Bashagha told Reuters that, “It is not an incident that came by chance, but was well-planned.”
Condemning the incident, UN special envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis, said on twitter that such “reckless” attempts are aimed at “derailing the political process” and threaten “the stability and security” of the country.
The shooting came as the Government of National Accord (GNA), in which Bashagha serves, prepares to establish a new interim government in a process led by the United Nations.
Libya had experienced a period of relative calm in the recent weeks, although heavy gunfire could be heard from central Tripoli over the weekend.
The country has been grappling with unchecked violence since the overthrow of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 during an operation backed by the Western alliance of NATO.
Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya, namely the UN-recognized government based Tripoli, and another camp based in the eastern city of Tobruk, backed militarily by armed rebels.
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