Death toll of Libya car bomb attacks rises to 22

TRIPOLI, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of the double car bomb attacks that hit the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Tuesday has risen to more than 22, according to a medical source.

"The reported death toll is in Al-Jalaa hospital alone. There are other cases that have been transferred to other hospitals and clinics in the city," Fadia Al-Barghathi, an official from the Information Office of Al-Jalaa Hospital in Benghazi, told Xinhua.

Al-Barghathi confirmed that the hospital has so far received 22 bodies and 21 injured people.

Two car bomb explosions hit Benghazi on Tuesday night. The first one exploded in front of a mosque as worshipers exited the mosque after night prayer. The second one exploded in the same location following the arrival of ambulances.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet.

Milud Al-Zwai, a spokesman for the army's special forces, told local media that the commander of the army's Special Investigation Unit, Ahmed Ali Al-Fitouri, was killed by one of the attacks.

According to security sources, Brigadier General Mahdi Al-Falah, a senior Libyan intelligence official, was injured in the first explosion.

These are the most violent bombings in Benghazi for months, after the eastern army led by General Khalifa Haftar took control of the entire city and the completion of the military operations against terrorist groups in Benghazi.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) earlier on Tuesday condemned the attacks.

"UNSMIL condemns the horrific bombings in al-Salmani residential neighborhood in Benghazi causing many casualties, including civilians," said the mission in a post on its official Facebook page. Enditem