Car bomb rocks Swedish consulate in Benghazi

TRIPOLI, Libya — A car bomb went off outside the Swedish Consulate on Friday in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, badly damaging the building, but leaving no casualties, Libyan and Swedish officials said.

The official said the car bomb was detonated by remote control on Friday in the upscale neighborhood of Benghazi. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Ursula Ahlen at the Swedish Foreign Ministry in Stockholm confirmed an explosion took place in the morning outside the Swedish honorary consulate in Benghazi. She said the facade and windows of the building were damaged, but there were no reports of injuries, because the diplomatic mission was closed on Friday, a weekend day in Libya.

Benghazi has been hit by a wave of attacks against government offices and targeted killings in recent months as security agencies struggle to secure Libya since the 2011 civil war. Weapons have proliferated and a number of militias have vied for authority, operating with impunity.

Some militiamen have warned of possible retaliation against American interests — or even other foreigners — after a recent US raid in Libya in which al-Qaida suspect was seized and transported out of the country. The raid angered powerful Islamic militants who accuse the Libyan government of colluding in the abduction of a Libyan citizen. Militants attacked the US Consulate in Benghazi last year, killing the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.