At least three people were killed and 15 wounded when a car bomb exploded in a cemetery of the Libyan city of Benghazi during an ex-army commander's funeral Thursday, a hospital source said

Benghazi, Libya, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP - 11th Jul, 2019 ) :At least three people were killed and 15 wounded when a car bomb exploded in a cemetery of the Libyan city of Benghazi during an ex-army commander's funeral Thursday, a hospital source said.

A security official said the attack, the first in over a year in the bastion of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar, targeted servicemen at the funeral of Khalifa al-Mesmari, a special forces chief under Libya's ousted leader Moamer Qaddifi. </s> A car bomb exploded during the funeral of an ex-army commander in the Libyan city of Benghazi on Thursday, killing at least four people and wounding more than 30 others, hospitals said.

A security official said the attack, the first in over a year in the bastion of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar, targeted servicemen at the funeral of Khalifa al-Mesmari, a special forces chief under Libya's ousted leader Moamer Kadhafi.

The Mediterranean city's hospitals, giving a revised casualty toll of four dead and 33 wounded, said two of those killed were civilians.

The other two were special forces members, Haftar's spokesman General Ahmad al-Mesmari, who was among the mourners at the funeral, told a press conference.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Benghazi, Libya's second city and the cradle of the 2011 uprising that overthrew Kadhafi, was hit by years of violence targeting diplomatic offices and security forces after his fall.

An attack on the US consulate on September 11, 2012, killed US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

The last attack in Benghazi in May 2018 left seven people dead.

In 2017, Haftar drove hardline Islamists and jihadists out of Benghazi after a brutal three-year battle.

He went on to seize Derna, the last city in eastern Libya outside his control.

In early 2019, Haftar ordered his self-styled Libyan National Army to purge the south of what he called "terrorist groups and criminals".

On the heels of that campaign, his LNA launched in April an offensive to take the Libyan capital from the UN-recognised Government of National Accord.

Fighting on Tripoli's outskirts has since killed 1,048 people, including 106 civilians, and left 5,558 wounded, including 289 civilians, according to a report released Tuesday by the UN's World Health Organization. </s> Benghazi - A car bomb exploded during the funeral of an ex-army commander in the Libyan city of Benghazi on Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding 15, a hospital said.

A security official said the attack, the first in over a year in the bastion of Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, targeted servicemen at the funeral of Khalifa Al Mesmari, a special forces chief under Libya’s ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The Benghazi Medical Centre said the blast in a cemetery left three dead and 15 wounded, without specifying whether the victims were civilian or military.

Al Jala, another hospital in the city, said it was treating wounded but did not specify the number.

Benghazi, Libya’s second city and the cradle of the 2011 uprising that overthrew Gaddafi, was hit by years of violence targeting diplomatic offices and security forces after his fall.

An attack on the US consulate on September 11, 2012, killed US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

The last attack in Benghazi was in May 2018 and left seven people dead.

He went on to seize Derna, the only city in eastern Libya outside his control.

In early 2019, Haftar ordered his Libyan National Army to purge the south of what he called “terrorist groups and criminals”.

On the heels of that campaign, his LNA launched in April an offensive to take the Libyan capital from the UN-recognised Government of National Accord.

Fighting on Tripoli’s outskirts has since killed 1,048 people, including 106 civilians, and left 5,558 wounded, including 289 civilians, according to a report released Tuesday by the UN’s World Health Organisation. </s> A car bombing in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi killed two United Nations staff on Saturday, a security official said.

"Two members of the UN mission, one them a foreigner, were killed and at least eight others wounded including a child, by a car bomb" in a shopping area of the Al-Hawari district, the official said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which happened as a UN convoy was passing through the area.

Benghazi, Libya's second city and the cradle of the 2011 uprising that overthrew dictator Moamer Kadhafi, was hit by years of violence targeting diplomatic offices and security forces after his fall.

An attack on the US consulate on September 11, 2012, killed US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

In 2017, military strongman Khalifa Haftar drove hardline Islamists and jihadists out of Benghazi after a three-year battle.

Haftar, who backs an eastern-based administration that opposes the Tripoli-based unity government, went on to seize Derna, the last city in eastern Libya outside his control.

But bombings and kidnappings have continued.

A May 2018 attack left seven people dead and last month, a car bombing at the funeral of an ex-army commander killed at least four people and wounded more than 30 others.

A Libyan lawmaker is also feared to have been abducted by an armed group in the eastern city, the UN and lawmakers said in July.

Haftar controls most of eastern Libya, and early this year he ordered his self-styled Libyan National Army to purge the south of what he called "terrorist groups and criminals".

On the heels of that campaign, his LNA launched in April an offensive to take the Libyan capital from the UN-recognised Government of National Accord.

The LNA on Saturday announced a truce around Tripoli for the three-day Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha, after the unity government conditionally accepted a ceasefire called for by the UN. </s> BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - At least two people were killed and three wounded when a car bomb hit a funeral of former senior military commander in the east Libyan city of Benghazi, a military source said.

The funeral at Benghazi’s Huwari cemetery was for Khalifa Mismari, the assistant commander of Libya’s special forces under former leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was toppled in 2011, the source said. </s> People gather at the site where a car bomb hit a funeral of a former senior military commander at Huwari cemetery in Benghazi, Libya July 11, 2019. REUTERS/Ayman al-Warfalli

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and 33 wounded when a car bomb hit a funeral of a former senior military commander in the east Libyan city of Benghazi, a spokesman for the eastern administration’s interior ministry said.

The funeral at Benghazi’s Huwari cemetery was for Khalifa Mismari, the assistant commander of Libya’s special forces under former leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was toppled in 2011, a military source said.

A Reuters witness saw two burned out cars at the scene of the blast.

According to the military source, the current head of the special forces, Wanis Bukhamada, was attending the funeral but was unharmed.

Since 2014, Libya has been divided between rival political and military factions based in Tripoli and the eastern part of the country.

The special forces have become a key unit aligned with Khalifa Haftar, the military commander who controls eastern Libya.

Since early April, Haftar has been waging an offensive to try to take the capital Tripoli, in the west of the country, though his campaign has stalled. </s> BENGHAZI, Libya: A car bomb exploded during the funeral of an ex-army commander in the Libyan city of Benghazi on Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding 15, a hospital said.

A security official said the attack, the first in over a year in the bastion of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar, targeted servicemen at the funeral of Khalifa al-Mesmari, a special forces chief under Libya´s ousted leader Moamer Qaddafi.

The Benghazi Medical Centre said the blast in a cemetery left three dead and 15 wounded, without specifying whether the victims were civilian or military. Al-Jala, another hospital in the city, said it was treating wounded but did not specify the number.

Benghazi, Libya´s second city and the cradle of the 2011 uprising that overthrew Kadhafi, was hit by years of violence targeting diplomatic offices and security forces after his fall. An attack on the US consulate on September 11, 2012, killed US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. The last attack in Benghazi was in May 2018 and left seven people dead. In 2017, Haftar drove hardline Islamists and jihadists out of Benghazi after a brutal three-year battle. He went on to seize Derna, the only city in eastern Libya outside his control. </s> BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - At least three people were killed and 15 wounded when a car bomb hit a funeral of former senior military commander in the east Libyan city of Benghazi, medical and military sources said.

The funeral at Benghazi’s Huwari cemetery was for Khalifa Mismari, the assistant commander of Libya’s special forces under former leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was toppled in 2011, the military source said.

A Reuters witness saw two burned out cars at the scene of the blast.

According to the military source, the current head of the special forces, Wanis Bukhamada, was attending the funeral but was unharmed.

Since 2014, Libya has been divided between rival political and military factions based in Tripoli and the east.

The special forces have become a key unit aligned with Khalifa Haftar, the military commander who controls eastern Libya.

Since early April Haftar has been waging an offensive to try to take the capital Tripoli, in the west of the country, though his campaign has stalled. </s> BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - A double car bombing in the east Libyan city of Benghazi on Tuesday left at least 22 people dead and 30 wounded, including senior security figures, according to officials and a Reuters witness.

The first explosion struck outside a mosque in Benghazi’s central Al Salmani district as worshippers were leaving evening prayers.

Some 10 to 15 minutes later, after security and health officials had arrived on the scene, a second, more powerful blast was detonated from a Mercedes parked on the opposite side of the street, hitting an ambulance and causing a higher number of casualties.

The victims included both military personnel and civilians, officials said. One of those killed was Ahmed al-Feitouri of the investigation and arrest unit attached to the general command of east Libyan security forces. An intelligence official, Mahdi al-Fellah, was wounded.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible.

Benghazi was the scene of more than three years of warfare from 2014 until late last year, as forces loyal to eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar battled Islamists and other opponents.

There were a number of bombings during the latter stages of the conflict targeting figures linked to Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA).

LNA claimed control of its rivals’ final holdout in the port city in December.

The fighting in Benghazi was part of a broader conflict that developed in Libya after former ruler Muammar Gaddafi was removed from power and killed in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.
Four people are killed and over 30 injured in a car bomb attack at a funeral for a senior Libyan National Army commander in Benghazi.