A deadly attack has been carried out on the election headquarters in Libya on Wednesday with officials saying some 12 people have been killed.
A group of militants stormed the head offices of the electoral commission in Tripoli with security forces engaging its members in a gun battle.
The assailants were reported to have tried to gain control of the building, forcing officials working at the commission to flee.
There have been preparations for elections this year in Libya with voters currently registering ahead of the elections despite doubts about the possibility of such an election taking place.
The spokesperson for the electoral commission, Khaled Omar told Reuters that three officials and four security officers were killed in the attack but the health ministry has now put the number of those dead at 12.
The militant Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack with its propaganda arm, Amaq news agency, reporting that “Two suicide operations hit the headquarters of the High Election Commission in Tripoli.”
The Libyan UN-backed government has condemned the attack. In a statement the government said the attack was a “desperate attempt to derail the democratic process”.
“Despite its ruthlessness, it will never deter us from moving forward in this path that the people have chosen,” the statement added.
Libya has struggled to restore peace following the overthrow of its former leader, Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 with the country still under the control of rival armed groups.
Source: Africafeeds.com
