Blast hits Libyan Foreign Ministry building in Benghazi
Several injured in the explosion, which comes a year after a raid on the American consulate in the city
TRIPOLI, Libya — Security officials say a powerful explosion has caused serious damage to Libya’s Foreign Ministry building in the heart of the coastal city of Benghazi.
The early Wednesday morning blast also damaged the building next door housing the Benghazi branch of the Libyan Central Bank.
The officials said several passers-by were slightly injured by the blast, which blew out windows in nearby buildings. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The blast came exactly one year after al-Qaeda-linked militants stormed the US Consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi, killing the US ambassador and three other Americans. Both Wednesday’s bombing and last year’s attack on the American consulate took place on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.