At least 12 soldiers died and 35 wounded in a car bomb attack on a Libyan army post west of Benghazi. The suicide attack occurred at about 8 pm on Wednesday as the soldiers gathered in an administration building.
The Libya army has been battling IS and Alqaeda terrorist in the city for over two years.
Earlier on Wednesday, a Libyan Air Force MiG-23 fighter crashed west of Libya’s city of Benghazi when it was hit by a surface to air SAM missile, according to unconfirmed military sources.
The dead and wounded soldiers belong to Infantry Battalion 210 of the Libyan armed forces in Kafur district west Benghazi.
The spokesman of Battalion 302 Mohamed al-Azoumi said the car bomb targeted the administration building of the battalion.
Among the dead are the commander of the Infantry Battalion 210 Idris al-Baraasi and commander of Soluq Brigade Hamad al-Faresi. Commander of the Fourth Sector of the Western Axis Colonel Ali al-Gutaani suffered serious wounds.
Al-Azoumi denied social media reports claiming the death of field commander Mohamed Dawoud al-Gabsi in the suicide attack. He said al-Gabsi was alive and well as he left the building before the attack took place.
The pilot, Colonel Hamed al-Ubaidi died of his wounds as a result of the crash of his aircraft.
Some local media reported that the fighter jet was downed by the Islamic State militants, outlawed in many countries.
The incident is the third crash of a Libyan military aircraft resulting in pilot’s death in the past three months.
It was also announced in Benghazi that the criminal investigation department officer Usama Buwithen who was wounded in a previous car bomb early this week died Tuesday evening as a result of his wounds. Two more security officer died on the spot in the same car bomb in early last Sunday.
tripolipost.com
