Attack kills 2 soldiers in southern Libya

By Waleed Abdullah

TRIPOLI (AA) – Two soldiers loyal to the UN-backed unity government were killed in an attack in southern Libya on Saturday, according to a local security spokesman.

Gunmen opened fire on a security checkpoint in the town of Umm al-Aranbi, 150 kiometers south of Sabha city, Lt. Col. Mohamed Jaber Saleh, a spokesman for the local security room in the town, said.

He said security forces chased the attackers and arrested two of them.

The spokesman said the attackers were foreigners, but declined to elaborate.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Wednesday, three soldiers loyal to East Libya-based government were killed in an attack on a security checkpoint in central Libya.

Libya has been dogged by chaos and political uncertainty since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.