Two car bombs have exploded outside the UAE and Egyptian embassies in Libya, in an attack reportedly carried out by Islamic militant groups in Tripoli.
The attack left two guards outside the Egyptian embassy wounded and three guards injured outside the UAE embassy. Both buildings were empty at the time of the explosion, after both countries alongside other nations, pulled diplomatic staff out of Tripoli.
UAE’s foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and the Egyptian foreign ministry have denounced the bombings as “terrorist”, with Al-Nahyan blaming it on Libyan Dawn and Ansar al-Sharia.
The New York Times reported Western diplomats as saying Egyptian special forces have participated in raids near the airport in Benghazi against Islamist groups, whilst the UAE has launched a series of airstrikes against the Islamist-allied militias.
The Libyan government, which has been ousted from Tripoli by the various warring militias, released a statement saying,
"Such attacks aim to terrorize Libyans, and hinder the work of the House of Representatives and government to prevent them doing their duty to maintain security and stability."