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Tripoli: French embassy in Libya hit by car bomb | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A car bomb has exploded outside the French embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, wounding two French guards and several residents. | |
The blast in Tripoli destroyed the embassy's ground-floor reception area and perimeter wall, as well as damaging neighbouring homes and shops. | |
French President Francois Hollande called on Libya to act swiftly over this "unacceptable" attack. | French President Francois Hollande called on Libya to act swiftly over this "unacceptable" attack. |
It is the first major attack on a foreign embassy in the Libyan capital. | It is the first major attack on a foreign embassy in the Libyan capital. |
Tuesday's explosion happened shortly after 07:00 (05:00 GMT) in a smart residential area of Tripoli. | |
One of the embassy's guards was severely injured while the other suffered lighter injuries. Several residents were also slightly hurt. | |
One young girl suffered a spinal cord injury and was being transferred to neighbouring Tunisia for treatment, her father told the BBC. | |
The blast took place in a small side street and left a scene of devastation, the BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli reports. | |
As well as extensive damage to the embassy building and perimeter wall, two nearby homes were badly damaged and others affected, while the windows of a shop were blown out and two parked cars were burnt out. | |
Many neighbours who gathered in the street to survey the damage were shaken and upset by what had happened, our correspondent says. | |
They told her that there was a lack of proper policing for such a potentially high-profile target. | They told her that there was a lack of proper policing for such a potentially high-profile target. |
"It was a big mistake to site the French embassy in our neighbourhood," a local resident said. | "It was a big mistake to site the French embassy in our neighbourhood," a local resident said. |
President Hollande said the attack had targeted "all countries in the international community engaged in the fight against terrorism". | President Hollande said the attack had targeted "all countries in the international community engaged in the fight against terrorism". |
"France expects the Libyan authorities to shed the fullest light on this unacceptable act, so that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice," he said. | "France expects the Libyan authorities to shed the fullest light on this unacceptable act, so that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice," he said. |
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius - who is on his way to Libya - said French officials would work closely with the Libyan authorities to find out who was responsible for what he called an "odious act". | |
Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel Aziz condemned the bombing as a "terrorist act", but did not speculate on who might be behind it. | Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel Aziz condemned the bombing as a "terrorist act", but did not speculate on who might be behind it. |
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. | No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. |
French embassies across northern Africa have been on high alert since France sent in troops to help fight an Islamist insurgency in Mali in January. | French embassies across northern Africa have been on high alert since France sent in troops to help fight an Islamist insurgency in Mali in January. |
France, under Nicolas Sarkozy, was at the forefront of Nato-led air strikes in 2011 that helped rebel forces topple long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. | France, under Nicolas Sarkozy, was at the forefront of Nato-led air strikes in 2011 that helped rebel forces topple long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. |
The US consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi was attacked by armed men in September 2012, leading to the killing of ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other American officials. |