Benghazi suicide bomb targets rogue Libyan general's fighters

Car bomber attacks checkpoint manned by troops loyal to former general Khalifa Haftar
  • theguardian.com,
Army personnel look at hole in the ground at site of checkpoint explosion near Benghazi, Libya
The site of an explosion said to have been caused by a suicide bomber at a checkpoint near Benghazi. Photograph: Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters

A Libyan security official says a suicide car bomber has targeted a checkpoint manned by troops loyal to a rogue Libyan former general, Khalifa Haftar outside the eastern city of Benghazi, wounding three people.

The official says the bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle on Wednesday night, killing himself and wounding three of Haftar's fighters.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Haftar is leading an offensive against the Islamic militias and Islamists that dominate Libya's politics. His troops, along with their allies, have bombed militia camps in and around Benghazi in recent weeks.

The fighting has escalated the crisis in Libya, which has been in turmoil since the 2011 civil war and the downfall of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

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