Libya: At least four dead, dozens wounded in Benghazi car bombing
At least four people were killed and 33 wounded in a car bombing at the funeral of an ex-army commander in the Libyan city of Benghazi, AFP reported, citing local hospital officials.
The bombing on Thursday targeted the funeral of Khalifa al-Mesmari, a special forces chief under Libya's ousted former leader Muammar Gaddafi, the news agency said.
An unidentified security official told AFP the attack marks the first in more than a year in the northern coastal city, which is controlled by rebel leader Khalifa Haftar.
Two of the people killed were members of Haftar's special forces unit, while two others were civilians, Haftar's spokesman, General Ahmad al-Mesmari, said during a news conference.
No group took immediate responsibility for the attack.
The 2011 uprising that resulted in Gaddafi's ousting began in Benghazi, and for years rival armed groups fought for control of the city, often targeting diplomatic offices and security forces.
One of those attacks targeted the US consulate in Benghazi on 11 September 2012, killing US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other US citizens.
In 2017, after a brutal three-year battle, Haftar's forces, self-styled as the Libyan National Army (LNA), took control of the city.
In April, LNA forces launched a military campaign to take Tripoli, the Libyan capital, from the country's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).
Fighting on Tripoli's outskirts has killed 1,048 people, including 106 civilians, according to a World Health Organization report released on Tuesday.
Another 5,558 people, including 289 civilians, have been wounded, the WHO said.
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