Militants kill 14 in strike on Libya’s election HQ

Bloomberg

Militants killed at least 14 people at the headquarters of Libya’s elections commission, Interior Minister Abdel-Salam Ashour said, in a likely symbolic strike as the fractured country edges toward potentially stabilising votes.
Gunfire erupted as the attackers targeted security forces guarding the building, said Khaled el Mannai, deputy head of public relations at the commission in Tripoli. While one kept watch on the entrance, another “roamed through offices showering people with bullets. When police reinforcements reached the area, the attackers blew themselves up inside,” he said.
At least seven other people were wounded, the Health Ministry said.
Turmoil gripped Libya following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled dictator Moammar Qaddafi.
Since 2014, the OPEC member has been ruled by two feuding administrations and dozens of regional militias. The ensuing chaos has provided fertile ground for the rise of militants, including those linked to IS.
The United Nations has been struggling to help the rival governments lay the groundwork for a new constitution and elections. It’s pushing for votes on both to be held by the end of the year, and Libyan officials have been registering voters.
The push for peace has been complicated by the involvement in the Libyan conflict of outside powers seeking to bolster their regional clout.
In a statement, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack in Tripoli and called on the the international community to cut off sources of terrorist funding and prevent the establishment of safe havens.