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Car bomb, clashes with IS kill 22 presidential guards in Libya

Xinhua, May 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least 22 presidential guards were killed and 30 others injured on Wednesday in a car bomb following clashes with the Islamic State (IS) group in the Libyan city of Sirte, media and medical sources told Xinhua.

"A suicide bomber attacked the forces of the presidential guards in Bowerat Al-Hasson town near Sirte, killing 18 guards and injuring 30 others." Osama Badi, a member of the media center of the presidential guards, told Xinhua.

He said four guards were killed in clashes that took place prior to the bomb attack.

A medical source of Misrata central hospital confirmed it has received 22 bodies on Wednesday, adding that the hospital is expecting to receive more bodies.

The town Bowerat Al-Hasson is located nearly 70 km west of Sirte, a city that has been controlled by the IS for more than a year.

Medical sources confirmed that the casualties of the clashes on Tuesday in the town of Abo-Gren between the guards and the IS was 45.

The UN-backed unity government has formed the presidential guard service in an effort to fight the increased dominance of the IS. Endit