Islamic State attacks checkpoint in Libya's east, killing two

Three soldiers wounded; militants desecrate bodies, loot weapons and ammunition and leave vehicles burning

BENGHAZI, Libya — A spokesman for Libyan forces in the country’s east says suspected Islamic State militants have attacked a security checkpoint, killing two people.

Faisal Ahbale, a spokesman for the self-styled Libyan national army led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, says three additional troops were wounded in the Wednesday attack. He says the militants looted weapons and ammunition and left several vehicles burning.

Speaking from the eastern coastal city of Ajdabia, he says the suspected IS fighters desecrated the bodies after the attack, which took place 60 kilometers (37 miles) to the south.

This attack comes after a relatively peaceful summer in Libya, where Hifter’s forces have taken control of most of the country’s east and some southern areas.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement circulated on social media.