The military force headed by eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar on Thursday said Turkey, terrorists and Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj were directly to blame for the bombings that struck a funeral in the country’s second largest city.
Al-Sarraj, who heads the internationally-recognized government in Tripoli, bore “direct responsibility” for the three bombings that left 4 dead and 16 others wounded in Benghazi, Ahmed Al-Mismari, the spokesman for the Libyan National Army, said in a televised press conference.
Haftar has claimed that Turkey is providing support for Sarraj, while the Libyan premier says the eastern commander is getting backing from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
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Al-Mismari also drew direct parallels between the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, saying there were “no differences” between them and the attack bore the hallmarks of militant movements.
The LNA spokesman vowed that the fight to capture the Libyan capital, Tripoli, would continue and that the force headed by Haftar would not rest until it had rooted out terrorists and militias in the area.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. It comes as Islamic State is reportedly making a comeback in Libya and has vowed to target Haftar’s forces. The Libyan commander has cast his campaign to secure the country as a battle against terrorists.
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Islamic State secured the central city of Sirte in 2015, hoping to use it as a launchpad for attacks in Libya and neighboring countries. The militants, however, were driven out by forces loyal to Sarraj, with the backing of U.S. airstrikes. The group also held Derna before being routed.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tarek El-Tablawy in cairo at teltablawy@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn
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