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Gunmen storm Tripoli luxury hotel Gunmen storm hotel in Libyan capital; at least 8 killed
(about 2 hours later)
Gunmen stormed a luxury Libyan hotel popular with foreigners Tuesday after killing at least three hotel guards and blowing up a car in the hotel parking lot, news agencies reported from the troubled Libyan capital. Gunmen in Libya’s capital stormed a hotel popular with foreigners Tuesday, killing at least eight people in an attack that included a car bomb targeting fleeing staff and guests, news agencies reported.
Essam Al-Naas, a spokesman for a Tripoli security agency, told the Associated Press a stand-off with the gunmen continued Tuesday morning at Tripoli’s Corinthia Hotel - the most prominent hotel in the Libyan capital. The British Broadcasting Corporation said the gunmen may be holding hostages inside the seaside hotel. The fate of the attackers was not immediately clear. But a security official, Mahmoud Hamza, told the private al-Nabaa television network that the situation was “under control,” the Associated Press reported.
Tripoli-based al-Nabaa television channel said “senior officials” were inside the hotel. No confirmation was immediately available. The seaside Corinthia Hotel, the most prominent in the Libyan capital, is frequented by journalists, business executives and other international envoys, including officials involved in U.N.-brokered talks with Libya’s rival factions.
A hotel staffer said five masked attackers wearing bulletproof vests stormed the hotel after security at the gates tried to stop them, the Associated Press reported. He said the gunmen entered the hotel and fired randomly at the staff in the lobby. The AP, citing security officials and hotel staff, said five masked attackers wearing bulletproof vests stormed the hotel after security at the gates tried to stop them. Three guards were killed.
The staffer said the gunmen fired in his direction when he opened his door to look out. He said he joined the rest of the staff and foreign guests fleeing out the hotel’s back doors into the parking lot. A hotel staff member told the AP that the gunmen entered the hotel and appeared to fire in random directions. As guests and staff fled out the hotel’s back doors, a car bomb exploded about 100 yards away, the AP reported.
When they got there, he said a car bomb exploded in the parking lot, only a hundred yards away, the AP reported. He said this came after a protection force entered the lobby and opened fire on the attackers. The staffer spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution, the AP said. At least five foreigners were killed during the attack, news reports said, but no further details were immediately given by officials.
The hotel staff member spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution, the AP said.
He said the hotel had Italian, British and Turkish guests, but that it was largely empty at the time of the attack.He said the hotel had Italian, British and Turkish guests, but that it was largely empty at the time of the attack.
Two Filipino women were wounded by smashed window glass, Reuters reported.Two Filipino women were wounded by smashed window glass, Reuters reported.
Tripoli has been hit with a series of car bombs and shootings in the turmoil that has engulfed the country following its 2011 civil war, which ousted long-time Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Two governments and two parliaments are vying for legitimacy in the country from Tripoli and Benghazi in the east. Tripoli has been hit with a series of car bombs and shootings in the turmoil that has engulfed the country following its 2011 civil war, which ousted longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Two governments and two parliaments are vying for legitimacy in the country from Tripoli and Benghazi in the east.
Tripoli is currently controlled by a group called Libya Dawn, which seized the capital in August by expelling a rival force.Tripoli is currently controlled by a group called Libya Dawn, which seized the capital in August by expelling a rival force.
Most recently, a guard was killed in a shootout outside the UN headquarters. Most recently, a guard was killed in a shootout outside the U.N. headquarters in the city.