Libya: 2 traffic cops killed in car bomb blast in busy Benghazi neighbourhood

Benghazi Medical Centre spokesperson Khalil Gwaider on Sunday said the two killed were traffic police monitoring a busy intersection from their parked car.

At least two police officers were killed and seven others were wounded in car bomb explosion overnight in one of the busiest districts of Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, officials said.

The two traffic police personnel were monitoring a busy intersection from their parked car when the bomb went off, wounding seven others. (AFP file photo for representation)

Benghazi Medical Centre spokesperson Khalil Gwaider on Sunday said the two killed were traffic police monitoring a busy intersection from their parked car. The neighbourhood was particularly crowded due to the upcoming Eid holiday, which begins on Wednesday and marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Several Islamic militant groups operate in Libya, where they have exploited the chaos that followed the 2011 overthrow of long time dictator Moammar Gadhafi. An Islamic State affiliate has been locked in heavy fighting with other local militias in its last remaining stronghold of Sirte, a central coastal city.