Libyan Politician Slams Official Government for Hotel Attack in Tripoli

Omar Hassi, Libya's self-proclaimed Prime Minister, accused the country's official government of perpetrating the Tuesday attack on a hotel in Tripoli that killed at least 10 people.

MOSCOW, January 28 (Sputnik) — Libya's self-proclaimed Prime Minister Omar Hassi blamed his opposition, the country's internationally-recognized government, for perpetrating the Tuesday attack at a hotel in Tripoli with the help of Egypt, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

On Tuesday, a terrorist attack at the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli killed at least 10 people. An affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Libya reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

Hassi, however, rejected the reports on an IS role in the incidents, linking the internationally recognized government of Libya, de-facto headed by General Khalifa Haftar, to the hotel attack, according to Bloomberg.

"We do believe this action was taken by the Haftar government with the possible aid of Egyptian intelligence, in an operation to try to show that there is instability in the capital, where we have provided stability for the residents, and to give the impression that terrorist organizations are able to operate in Tripoli."

After over 40 years in power Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011. Since that time the country has been in a state of social and political turmoil. The legitimacy of the internationally recognized government is contested by Hassi's Islamist-backed parliament. Government forces are also fighting numerous rebel groups, including Islamic extremists.