At least four dead after Libya suicide bomb attack

At least four people were killed and more than 20 wounded by a suicide bomb attack on a security checkpoint east of the Libyan city of Misrata, a local official news agency reported.

Libya is in the middle of a conflict between two rival governments, with armed forces attacking towns allied with their opponents. But Islamist militants are also increasing their reach in the chaos since Muammar Gaddafi's fall in 2011.

One woman and her two children were among the victims of the attack at the checkpoint in Es Dada, the Lana news agency associated with the Tripoli government said.

Misrata is a power base for the Libya Dawn forces who took over the capital Tripoli last summer and set up their own self-declared government and parliament, in a challenge to prime minister Abdullah al-Thinni's recognised administration.

The Misrata forces have also been fighting a second front against militants tied to Islamic State in the city of Sirte, where local Islamist militants have been expanding.

Air strikes

In a separate incident, warplanes from the recognised government carried out air strikes on Tripoli’s outskirts, targeting Libya Dawn positions, an air force spokesman said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Libya’s rival governments are backed by two loose coalitions of former rebel brigades, who once fought together against Gaddafi but fell into internecine battles soon after the Nato-backed uprising ended his regime.

Reuters