Two killed, 75 wounded by twin mosque bombing in Benghazi

Image Caption : Members of the self-styled Libyan National Army, loyal to the country's east strongman Khalifa Haftar, patrol the roads leading into the eastern city of Benghazi on February 7, 2018. (AFP)
Updated 09 February 2018
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Two killed, 75 wounded by twin mosque bombing in Benghazi

BENGHAZI: One person was killed and 75 wounded by a twin bombing inside a mosque in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Friday, medics said.
The blasts took place during Friday prayers, residents said. The devices appear to have been activated remotely using a mobile phone, one military source said. 
Two weeks ago, around 35 people were killed by a twin bombing at a mosque in the same city.
Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, is controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar. The LNA was battling Islamists, including some linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda, as well as other opponents until late last year in the Mediterranean port city.
Haftar, a possible contender in national elections that could be held by the end of 2018, has built his reputation on delivering stability in Benghazi and beyond, promising to halt the chaos that developed after a NATO-backed uprising ended Muammar Gaddafi’s long rule nearly seven years ago.
Haftar launched his military campaign in Benghazi in May 2014, in response to a series of bombings and assassinations blamed on Islamist militants.
In past months there have been occasional, smaller scale bombings apparently targeting LNA allies or supporters.


UN chief ‘gravely concerned’ by West Bank control measures

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UN chief ‘gravely concerned’ by West Bank control measures

  • Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says current trajectory on the ground is eroding prospect for two-state solution
NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “gravely concerned” by new Israeli measures to tighten control of the West Bank and pave the way for more settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, his spokesman said Monday.
“The Secretary-General is gravely concerned by the reported decision of the Israeli security cabinet to authorize a series of administrative and enforcement measures in Areas A and B of the occupied West Bank,” said Guterres’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
“He warns that the current trajectory on the ground, including this decision, is eroding the prospect for the two-State solution.”