UN chief condemns terror attack on Libyan election commission

UNITED NATIONS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned a terrorist attack on the national election commission of Libya, said his deputy spokesperson Wednesday.

"The Secretary-General condemns the terrorist attack on the High National Election Commission headquarters in Tripoli (the Libyan capital) today," said Farhan Haq, adding that Guterres extended his condolences to the families of the victims and sincere sympathy to the wounded.

The UN chief reaffirmed the UN's commitment to the implementation of the action plan for the North African country riddled with divisive forces, and expresses his appreciation and support for the efforts being carried out in this regard by his special representative, Ghassan Salame, the spokesman said.

The UN envoy proposed last September the action plan for Libya to end the political crisis, which included the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections before the end of 2018/

Earlier Wednesday, Salame condemned the suicide attack, tweeting "such cowardly attack on this democratic edifice is a direct aggression against the Libyan people and their will to build just and civil state, and against their hope of finding ways out of the transitions to establish peace and stability across Libya."

The suicide attack took place Wednesday as the UN-backed government, in cooperation with the UN Support Mission in Libya, prepares to hold presidential and parliamentary elections, claiming the lives of at least 14 people.

Abdalhakim Belkhair, deputy head of the commission, told Xinhua that the attack "seeks to send out clear messages attempting to thwart the upcoming elections in any way."

The militant group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. Enditem