French anti-crime unit to arrive in Libya
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E-mail Xinhua, April 23, 2013
A French anti-crime unit is expected to arrive in Tripoli later Tuesday for an investigation into a car bombing near the French embassy that injured at least two guards, a spokesman for Libya's foreign ministry said.
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| A damaged car is seen outside the French embassy following a car bomb blast, in Tripoli, Libya, April 23, 2013. A car bomb exploded early Tuesday near the French embassy in the Libyan capital, injuring at least two guards, security sources said. [Hamza Turkia/Xinhua] |
Also, several media outlets have reported that French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will come to the Libyan capital to oversee the investigation process, Bader al-Gulaioshi added.
The deadly explosion occurred around 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) in al-Andlus area, some 10 km from downtown Tripoli, causing panic among residents nearby.
The explosion caused huge damage to the French embassy compound as well as surrounding buildings.
In a statement, Libya's government slammed the "terrorist attack" on the French Embassy.
"The Libyan people and the government have rejected such acts, which aim to undermine the security and stability in the country," the statement read.
The government is ready to cooperate with all parties in order to arrest the perpetrators of the attack, statement added.
"We are sorry for such an attack and strongly condemn it," Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdulaziz said on the blast scene. "The authorities will work hard in investigation in order to hunt down the criminals."
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but Abdul Salam Ashour, an investigation official at the interior ministry told Xinhua that it may have been conducted by the former regime's supporters, who resent France' support for the revolt that toppled long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
He added that the attackers were likely to have thoroughly studied the site and made careful planning before carrying out the assault.
