(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Five people were injured after a car bomb exploded close to the entrance of General Khalifa Haftar’s special forces building in Benghazi, said medical sources on Wednesday.
Miloud Al-Zuway, a spokesperson for Haftar’s special forces, confirmed the statement made by the medical source, saying that 5 fighters were injured from the car bomb and were sent to Al-Jalaa Hospital in Benghazi.
“The injuries are serious and they are receiving treatment in hospital,” said Al-Zuway.
The debris also caused damage to buildings in the area, said Al-Zuway, who also announced that an investigation has been launched into the attack.
A news agency, with ties to Abdullah al-Thani, reports that significant damage was caused to shops nearby the military building.
The attack comes at a time when political tension in Libya could be at its all time high.
Another attack on Wednesday took place at an oil facility which Haftar’s forces control. Haftar’s forces forcefully took control of oil facilities in the oil crescent region in Libya in September from the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), a brigade loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
When Haftar forcefully took over the oil ports and fields, the GNA, UN and EU released statements condemning the take over. The attackers from the attempted takeover have not been clearly identified.
Haftar’s forces are blaming brigades from Misrata, Al-Qaeda and Minister of Defense Al- Mahdi Al-Barghathi.
The GNA released a statement denouncing claims that it had anything to do with the attack.
According to BBC reporter Rana Jawad, the statements made by the LNA general is false. Jawad’s sources said that the “statement attributed to Barghathi is fake.”
Moreover, last week Haftar met with Russian officials in Moscow to discuss the situation in Libya. Reports say that Haftar asked the Russians to supply him with arms, however, the Russians sent Haftar back empty handed and recommended that he gets more involved in the political dialogue in Libya.