Car bomb kills Haftar intel chief in eastern Libya

The head of military intelligence for the Libyan National Army (LNA), which controls the east and parts of southern Libya, has been killed in a car bombing, the army said in a statement Tuesday.

Fawzi al-Mansouri was assassinated on Monday when an explosive stuck to his car detonated as he was leaving a local mosque at night, the statement said.

Reports said the killing occurred in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

Libya has remained divided since being plunged into war during the ousting in 2011 of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Two governments are currently vying for power: the UN-recognised administration in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival in Benghazi backed by military commander and LNA chief Khalifa Haftar.

Khaled Haftar, the son of Khalifa, told AFP in a statement that an investigation was opened, adding that “indicators point to a despicable terrorist tactic”.

“Terrorism is a project targeting the entire region, not just Libya,” the statement added.

The bombing was a setback to efforts by the Haftars to paint a picture of stability in the areas they control.

“An attack of this sophistication in an LNA stronghold is also a major blow to the group’s security credentials,” Hamish Kinnear, an analyst with UK-based Verisk Maplecroft, told AFP.

– Reunification deal –

“The intelligence required to target such a high-profile figure successfully is indicative of significant capabilities on the part of the responsible actor,” Kinnear added.

Authorities have yet to identify the perpetrators.

In a statement, the LNA said it would “not cease fighting terrorism and will continue our struggle for the stability and security of Libya, as well as for the unification of its institutions”.

Al-Mansouri’s killing also came as efforts were under way to unify the country’s executive powers under a Washington-mediated plan that the LNA has publicly backed.

“None of this bodes well for a US plan to re-unify Libya,” Kinnear said, adding that under the roadmap, neither side “is likely to be satisfied with their respective positions for long”.

“A new, destabilising power struggle could soon emerge.”

Libya expert Jalel Harchaoui said the killing would “disrupt, or at the very least delay” the US-brokered deal.

“The agreement rests on two premises: that security reigns supreme in Benghazi, and that for senior officers, loyalty to Saddam (Haftar’s son and heir apparent) guarantees protection in the Benghazi stronghold,” Harchaoui explained.

But “a bomb that kills the head of military intelligence as he leaves a mosque undermines these premises,” he said.

– Prominent LNA figure –

Meanwhile, reunification would “require some gestures of openness toward reform and change within the army”, Harchaoui added.

The Tripoli-based government issued a statement denouncing a “terrorist attack” against al-Mansouri, saying it condemned the killing “regardless of one party’s positions or alliances”.

Authorities in Benghazi held al-Mansouri’s funeral on Tuesday afternoon, publishing photos that showed armed men in military fatigues with the attendance of senior LNA officials at the ceremony, including Khaled and Saddam Haftar.

The LNA described al-Mansouri as a “heroic martyr”.

Al-Mansouri was a prominent military leader with close ties to the Haftar family.

He played a key role in the LNA’s fighting against jihadist groups, including the Islamic State, between 2014 and 2017 in parts of the country’s east.

He was also a leading figure during Haftar’s Russia-backed offensive to seize Tripoli in 2019, which was thwarted by forces in the capital with the support of Turkey.

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