By Muetaz Wannes and Rania Abu Shamala
TRIPOLI, Libya/ISTANBUL (AA) - The headquarters of Libya's 444th Combat Brigade in the city of Bani Walid was targeted in a suicide car bombing, with no casualties reported, the Libyan army affiliated with the Government of National Unity announced Tuesday.
The announcement came in an official statement issued by the 444th Combat Brigade, the largest armed unit under the General Staff of the army in western Libya.
“A suicide bomber detonated himself inside a car in front of the camp in Bani Walid,” about 170 kilometers southeast of the capital Tripoli, the statement said.
“Investigations began immediately after the explosion, and our forces managed to bring the situation under control,” it added.
“We reassure everyone that the camp continues its duties with full readiness, without recording any breaches or losses,” it said.
“We will not hesitate to fulfill our duty, as we have always done, in protecting the homeland and pursuing anyone who dares to threaten the security and safety of our people.”
Libya remains divided between two rival administrations: one led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli, which controls the west of the country, and another appointed by the House of Representatives (parliament) in early 2022, led by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which governs the east and much of the south.