Sunday, December 22, 2013

Arab Spring returns Libya, with a bang: Libya's first suicide attack kills seven near Benghazi

(BBC) Seven people have been killed at a security checkpoint near Benghazi in the first known suicide bomb attack in Libya since the fall of Col Gaddafi.

The attacker targeted the checkpoint in the village of Aguiria, some 50km (30 miles) east of Libya's second city.

At least eight people, including soldiers and civilians, were wounded. [...]

The suicide bomber detonated a truck load of explosives at the checkpoint early on Sunday.

"A Toyota truck approached the checkpoint and parked there," Aymen al-Abdlay, a Benghazi army officer, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"There was a young man driving, but when the army troops went to check it out, the vehicle exploded."

Waiting civilians as well as soldiers were among the victims.

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