TRIPOLI, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Monday condemned an armed attack on the headquarters of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) in the capital Tripoli that took place earlier on Monday morning.
"The UNSMIL strongly condemns the cowardly terrorist attack on the NOC today. It expresses the deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery of the injured," the mission said in a statement.
It stressed that the attack on the corporation's building is "a blow to Libyans everywhere."
"The mission calls on Libyans to desist from futile side conflicts and come together, in partnership with the international community, to eradicate the scourge of terrorism across the country," the UNSMIL said.
Interior Minister Abdassalam Ashour earlier said that the NOC headquarters was attacked by "six people, who stormed the building early in the morning and used machine guns and grenades and detained a number of hostages."
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the Interior Ministry's Special Deterrence Force announced that Islamic State militants were behind the attack, confirming that the building is currently under control.
