Libya car bombing kills at least 30, army says

No group takes immediate responsibility, but military spokesman says attack bears hallmarks of Islamic militants

By AP 20 February 2015, 1:03 pm

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Illustrative image of Islamist fighters in Libya (YouTube screenshot)

CAIRO — A Libyan army spokesman said Friday that a massive car bombing has struck a town in the country’s east, killing at least 30 people, according to initial reports.

The spokesman, Mohammed Hegazi, told The Associated Press that a car bomb exploded next to a gas station in the eastern town of Qubba where motorists had lined to fill their tanks on Friday.

Hegazi said scores have also been wounded in the blast. He says the gas station is close to the towns’ security headquarters.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which Hegazi says bore the hallmarks of Islamic militants who have battled the army for months in and around the eastern city of Benghazi.

Libya has sunk into chaos, four years since longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster and death.