TRIPOLI: A car bomb went off in Libya's capital Tripoli on
Monday in front of the headquarters of Mellitah, an oil and gas joint
venture between Italy's ENI and Libyan state oil firm NOC, witnesses
said.
"The explosion damaged the buildings around the ENI
complex and burned three cars," said Omar Khadrwai, a senior security
official. "No one was hurt."
A Reuters reporter said there were broken windows and damaged doors at the building located next to a state bank.
In
a text message, an ENI spokesman played down the extent of the damage.
"Nobody wounded and no significant damage to the office buildings," he
said. ENI's joint venture partner NOC said in a statement the blast had
caused only minor damage and would not impact Mellitah's operations.
ENI
is still active in Libya, a major oil producer gripped by chaos and
fighting. Like other Western companies, ENI has withdrawn expatriate
staff.
Mellitah's biggest asset, the El Feel oilfield,
has been closed for months due to a protest by local security guards.
The Wafa oil and gas field and its offshore operations are still
working.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility
for the car bombing. Islamic State has claimed in the past a string of
killings of foreigners as well as attacks on embassies and oilfields in
Libya.
Islamic State militants have exploited chaos in
the North African country, where two governments allied to a host of
armed groups are fighting for control four years after the ousting of
veteran leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Tripoli is controlled by a rival government which seized the capital a year ago by expelling the official premier to the east.
Tripoli
government spokesman Jamal Zubia said in a message the car bombing was
"an attempt to hinder the work of foreign companies." The eastern-based
government blamed in a statement "terrorist groups occupying the
capital."
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/car-bomb-damages-italy-s/2089552.html
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