ISIS Kills 45 in East Libya Suicide Bombings

Bombings Hammer Govt Town of Qubba

Multiple suicide car bombings hammered the eastern Libyan town of Qubba, one of the few towns that are under the control of the internationally recognized government.

At least 45 people were killed in the attacks, which targeted security officials and the parliament speaker’s home. The local ISIS affiliate, which is based not far away in Derna, has claimed credit for the strikes.

A large number of others were injured in the attacks, and the death toll is expected to further rise. The government announced a seven-day mourning period.

Oddly, ISIS claimed only two bombings, against an army operations room, while the government says three strikes hit Qubba today. They are not revealing any of the victims yet, so it is unclear if any high-profile officials were slain.

Libyan ISIS was a separate Islamist faction centered on Derna, which pledged loyalty to the Syria-based caliphate in October. Since then, they’ve attracted a number of new recruits.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.