On May 2, two suicide attackers stormed the headquarter of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) in the Ghout Al-Shaal district of the Libyan capital of Tripoli.
The attackers clashed with security guards and blew themselves up, according to the Libya Observatory. The sources said that 16 civilians and security personnel were killed and 19 others were injured in the attack.
Hours after the attack, the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq confirmed that the two suicide attackers had been fighters of ISIS and had claimed that more than 15 personnel of Libyan security forces had been killed in the attack.
The Libyan news channel 218 reported that security forces had captured a third ISIS fighter near the HNEC headquarter. Security forces also defused a suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED), which had been parked in the same area, according to the source.
Most of the Libyan power brokers condemned the attack. This group included the House of Representatives that oppose the Government of National Accord (GNA), which controls most of western Libya, including the city of Tripoli.
Libyan activists loyal to the Libyan Nation Army (LNA) criticized the GNA and hold it the responsibility for the deteriorating security situation in its areas. The GNA, that’s led by the Muslim Brotherhood, had allowed several radical militias to operate in its areas, including the Libyan capital, and had not made any serious efforts to create a unified force.
According to observers, the recent attack is an attempt to sabotage the UN efforts to hold a presidential election in Libya before the end of this year.
ISIS fighters are a lot like anarchists…