Fawzi al-Mansouri, the head of military intelligence for the Libyan National Army, was killed on Monday when an explosive device attached to his car detonated as he was leaving a mosque in the eastern city of Benghazi, according to an LNA statement released Tuesday. No group has claimed responsibility and authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators.
Head of Libyan National Army military intelligence killed in car bombing in Benghazi
Fawzi al-Mansouri, the head of military intelligence for the Libyan National Army, was killed on Monday when an explosive device attached to his car detonated as he was leaving a mosque in the eastern city of Benghazi, according to an LNA statement released Tuesday. No group has claimed responsibility and authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators.
The LNA controls eastern Libya and parts of the south and is led by military commander Khalifa Haftar. It is backed by a rival administration based in Benghazi, while a separate UN-recognised government operates in Tripoli under Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah. Libya has remained divided since the 2011 war that accompanied the ousting of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Khaled Haftar, son of Khalifa Haftar, said in a statement to AFP that an investigation had been opened and that 'indicators point to a despicable terrorist tactic.' His office later said authorities had arrested a 'terrorist cell in Benghazi that was preparing to carry out acts of sabotage,' though it did not confirm whether the cell was linked to al-Mansouri's killing.
Al-Mansouri's funeral was held in Benghazi on Tuesday afternoon. Photos published by authorities showed armed men in military fatigues alongside senior LNA officials, including Khaled and Saddam Haftar. The LNA referred to al-Mansouri as a 'heroic martyr.'
Al-Mansouri had close ties to the Haftar family and played a significant role in LNA operations against jihadist groups, including the Islamic State, between 2014 and 2017 in eastern Libya. He was also a leading figure in Haftar's 2019 offensive to seize Tripoli, which was repelled by forces in the capital with Turkish support.
The killing occurred while a Washington-mediated plan to unify Libya's executive powers was under way, a process the LNA had publicly backed. Analyst Hamish Kinnear of UK-based Verisk Maplecroft told AFP that 'an attack of this sophistication in an LNA stronghold is also a major blow to the group's security credentials' and said the killing did not bode well for the US reunification plan.
Libya expert Jalel Harchaoui said the assassination would 'disrupt, or at the very least delay' the US-brokered deal, arguing that the attack undermined assumptions that security and senior-officer loyalty could be guaranteed in Benghazi.
The Tripoli-based government issued a statement condemning the killing as a 'terrorist attack,' saying it denounced the assassination 'regardless of one party's positions or alliances.'
- The identity or affiliation of the perpetrators has not been established
- Whether the arrested 'terrorist cell' is connected to al-Mansouri's killing is unconfirmed
- The specific type or quantity of explosive used is not described
- The current status of the Washington-mediated reunification negotiations beyond general description is not provided
- Whether any witnesses to the bombing have been identified or interviewed is not reported
- The precise timeline of events between the killing and the arrest of the alleged cell is not given
Read the original at France 24