Libyan police arrests suspects in attempt murder of army chief

CAIRO – 19 April 2018: The Libyan Ministry of Interior has revealed arresting suspects of a failed assassination attempt on army's chief of staff Abdel-Razik Al-Nathouri, an official statement said Wednesday.

The attackers planted an improvised explosive device that were detonated as Nathouri’s convoy was passing in the Eastern entrance of Benghazi.

According to military reports, the explosion killed one and wounded at least two people.

Nathouri was travelling from Benghazi to his base in al-Marj, a small eastern town, when the convoy hit him some 20 km outside Benghazi.

The ministry added that information about the suspects will be announced later as soon as they are done with the interrogations.

As soon as the explosion took place, the ministry dispatched security personnel and teams to secure the scene and contain the situation.

The ministry also warned against putting the safety of citizens in danger, it also called upon citizens to immediately report any suspicious moves that would endanger the country’s safety.

It is pertinent to mention that, Nathouri accused Qatar of plotting to assassinate former Chief of Staff General Abdel Fatah Younis in 2011.

“When Younis opposed the presence of the Qatari Chief of Staff in Qatar and Qatari support to Muslim Brotherhood leaders, Qatar decided to assassinate Younis,” Nazouri disclosed in a televised interview with Sky News on Tuesday.

Nathouri is chief of staff to forces run by head of the Libyan National Army Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.