Haftar intelligence chief killed in Libya car bombing

Fauzi Al-Mansouri, the intelligence chief for Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), was killed in a car bombing in Benghazi on Monday. The LNA announced his death in a late-night statement, calling the attack "cowardly and criminal." Al-Mansouri's vehicle exploded as he left a mosque after evening prayers in a residential area of the city.

“

a cowardly and criminal act

The assassination marks one of the most prominent attacks on a senior eastern official in about a decade. Authorities in eastern Libya "suspect" the bombing was a "jihadist attack," according to a military official, though investigations are ongoing. The LNA's command, led by Khalifa Haftar, aims to control all of Libya, which has been divided since the 2011 fall of Moammar Gadhafi.

“

suspect" that the attack was "a jihadist attack

Libya is governed by two rival administrations: one in Tripoli, recognized by the UN, and another in Benghazi controlled by the Haftar family. The LNA has controlled eastern Libya since 2017 but faces pockets of resistance. Khaled Haftar, a son of Khalifa Haftar and a senior LNA official, denounced the attack as "terrorist." His office later announced the arrest of a "terrorist cell" in Benghazi preparing sabotage, without directly linking it to Al-Mansouri's killing.

“

terrorist attack

Al-Mansouri, a brigadier general, played a key role in the pro-Haftar forces' victory over jihadists in eastern Libya between 2014 and 2017. The Tripoli-based government also condemned the "terrorist attack," calling for a national investigation. The incident highlights the persistent instability and security challenges in Libya.

“

condemned the terrorist attack