Not less than 30 people were feared dead in car bomb explosions in the eastern Libyan city of Qubbah on Friday, parliamentary speaker Aguila Saleh told Reuters:
Saleh told Al-Arabiya television the car bombs had targeted a petrol station next to a security building. Qubbah is Saleh’s hometown. He said the bombs appeared to be a retaliation for Egyptian air strikes on Islamist targets in the eastern city of Derna, which is close to Qubbah.
“We are announcing seven days of mourning for the victims of Qubbah,” he said. “I think this operation was revenge for what happened in Derna.” The pan-Arab news channel Al Jazeera earlier said at least 13 people had been killed in three explosions. Reuters was not immediately able to get confirmation or details from Libyan officials.
On Monday, Egypt launched air strikes on suspected Islamic State targets, a day after the group released a video showing the execution of Egyptian Coptic Christian workers.
Libya is in chaos, with two governments and parliaments vying for legitimacy and territory, four years after Muammar Gaddafi was toppled.