A car bomb exploded outside the French Embassy in Tripoli, Libya today, April 23, according to a Libya Foreign Ministry official. At least two guards and a Libyan teenager were injured, but no one has died as of press time.
The motive for the attack has yet to be confirmed as of press time.
"I send my solidarity and deepest sympathy to the two injured French guards and my wishes for their recovery," said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in a press statement.
The car bomb was detonated just outside the embassy building in Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood earlier this morning, before any of the embassy staff had arrived inside the diplomatic mission according to NBC News.
Along with injuring two guards, the bomb set off a fire at the embassy entrance that "engulfed" certain offices inside.
Two cars parked outside the embassy also caught fire and two other local buildings were damaged according to local officials speaking on the condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Firefighters arrived shortly after the bomb went off to take care of the fires which took a couple of hours to put out.
"I think there were two blasts, the first was very loud and then there was a smaller one," a witness said to Reuters. "There was some black smoke at first, and then it turned white."
President Francios Hollande stated after the incident that the assault was not only an attack against France but "all countries engaged in the fight against terrorism" according to the Associated Press.
Libya is struggling currently to maintain security, build a unified army and reign in militias just two years after the country's civil war.
"France expects the Libyan authorities to shed the fullest light on this unacceptable act, so that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice," Hollande said according to Reuters.
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