By Maha Sulaiman.
Benghazi, 3 July 2016:
Two security officers died in a car bomb explosion shortly after midnight last night in Benghazi’s Fuwayhat district, and which is believed to have been set off by members of the so-called Islamic State (IS/Daesh). However, the man believed to be the terrorists’ target, Counter Crime Agency commander Hamada Ramli, escaped with relatively minor injuries. He was wounded in his left arm and leg.
The explosion happened as his car was driving down Pepsi Street, busy at the time with late night Ramadan shoppers, promenaders and coffee shop devotees. As it passed a parked vehicle, the latter blew up in what was evidently a remote controlled explosion.
The two officers travelling with Ramli died instantly. Reports that five others were wounded in the attack have been denied by a local resident who told the Libya Herald, however, that two other vehicles had been destroyed in the blast.
Ramli has had a high profile, appearing on TV on several occasions to explain what was being done to crush IS in Benghazi. “Daesh hates him,” said one security official.
He has sent out a message from hospital stating that he suffered only minor wounds and is otherwise fine.
Responding to the attack, the interior minister of Abdullah Al-Thinni’s interim government called top security officials to a meeting in Benghazi to review the city’s safety needs.
UN Special Envoy Martin Kobler has condemned the incident.
