IS claims responsibility for deadly attack in central Libya

Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-30 12:22:43|Editor: ZD
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TRIPOLI, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) militant group on Monday claimed responsibility for an attack on Libya's central town of Fug'ha in the Jufra District.

"The soldiers of the caliphate launched a large-scale attack on the town of the Fug'ha that is under the control of the apostate Haftar militias," IS media arm A'maq tweeted late Monday.

The terrorist organization said it killed and captured several army soldiers and burned their homes before withdrawing without losses.

Five people were killed at dawn on Monday in an attack on government buildings in the area, some 650 km southeast of the capital Tripoli, a military source said.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned the terrorist attack, and called for the protection of civilians, urging all parties to the conflict to "cease targeting civilians and civilian objects in compliance with International Humanitarian Law."

Linking the Libyan cities of the west, east and south, Jufra has been under the control of the eastern-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, since June 2017 when the area was cleared of militant groups.

In February, a suicide attack on a checkpoint in Jufra killed three army soldiers and destroyed the checkpoint as well as a number of vehicles. 

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