Improvised explosive device targets senior LNA official’s vehicle outside his residence as authorities investigate deadly attack
BENGHAZI: Fawzi Al-Mansouri, the head of military intelligence for the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), was killed after an improvised explosive device targeted his vehicle in Benghazi, according to media reports.
The explosion occurred outside Al-Mansouri’s residence in the Hawari area of the eastern Libyan city. Initial reports said attackers planted an explosive device that detonated near or inside his vehicle.
Local authorities have not immediately identified those responsible for the bombing. Furthermore, officials have released few details about the type of explosive used, possible additional casualties or circumstances surrounding the attack.
Bombing Highlights Persistent Security Challenges
The assassination of a senior intelligence official has renewed concerns about security conditions in Libya, where competing political authorities and armed factions continue to exercise considerable influence despite the decline in large-scale fighting.
A ceasefire reached in 2020 largely ended the major military confrontation between rival eastern and western forces. However, political divisions, competing security institutions and armed groups continue to complicate attempts to establish lasting stability.
Libya has remained deeply divided since 2014, three years after the uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi’s decades-long rule.
Political and Military Divisions Continue
The LNA, commanded by Khalifa Haftar, controls large areas of eastern and southern Libya and remains aligned with the eastern authorities based in Benghazi.
Meanwhile, Libya’s internationally recognised government operates from the capital, Tripoli, and exercises authority across significant areas of western Libya.
Efforts to reunify the country’s political and security institutions have repeatedly faced obstacles despite international mediation.
Consequently, Al-Mansouri’s killing could increase security concerns within eastern Libya’s military establishment.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the bombing, while no organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack.
