BENGHAZI
The death toll from a suicide bombing that targeted a security checkpoint in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi – probably the first suicide attack in the country – rose to 13, medical sources said.
The attack which targeted a security checkpoint in the Barses neighborhood at the entry to Benghazi also left many injured, the sources said.
The toll is likely to rise further, the sources said, noting that many of the wounded are in a very critical condition.
A military official described the as a "disaster."
The official, who asked not to be named, quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the bomber drove a military vehicle into the checkpoint packed with people before blowing it up.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack is the latest in a string of recent assaults targeting police and army personnel in Benghazi.
Libyans have struggled to restore order to their country since the death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi two years ago.
The transitional government and its security forces, meanwhile, have struggled to contain the armed militias that helped overthrow Gaddafi but which held onto their weapons after the 2011 uprising.
by Moataz al-Majbari
englishnews@aa.com.tr
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