Seven killed by car bomb at Libya military base

At least seven soldiers have been killed by a car bomb at a military base in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

The car, which was loaded with explosives, is reported to have blown up at the gates of the base in Benghazi’s al-Rahba district just as troops were leaving after an inauguration ceremony for new military officers had ended.

Bodies were taken to the Benghazi Medical Centre, according to security and medical officials.

Benghazi, the birthplace of the 2011 uprising that led to the downfall of dictator Muammar Gadafy, has seen a sharp rise in attacks and assassinations targeting military and police troops.

A weak central government in the capital, Tripoli, has struggled to rein in unruly militias, most of which stem from the former rebels who fought Gadhafi.

Benghazi was the scene of a brazen militant attack on the US Consulate on September 11 2012, which left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

AP