“A well planned operation.” Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha reveals details of assassination attempt

Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha said he survived a “well-planned” assassination attempt on Sunday, during which gunmen opened fire on his cars in the capital Tripoli, despite doubts from an armed force. who said his members were part of this on his account.

Bashagha told Reuters that a car began to invade his convoy and people inside the car opened fire, prompting an exchange of gunfire in which one of his bodyguards and one of the attackers were killed.

He said it was not an accident that happened by chance, but a well-planned operation, adding that his guards chased the overturned car, saying they had arrested two people, one of whom was wanted by police.

In a statement posted on the Internet, the Stability Support Service stated that Bashagha guards opened fire on one of their cars as it passed their convoy.

The Stability Support Authority is an armed force established this year by outgoing Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.

For his part, UN envoy Jan Kubis condemned the incident and called for an investigation, saying on Twitter that “such reckless actions threaten stability and security and are aimed at disrupting the political process.”

The attack comes as the reconciliation government prepares to make room for a new transitional government elected through a UN-led process aimed at uniting Libya’s warring factions.

Bashaga, a leading figure from the city of Misurata in western Libya, ran for president of the unity government without success in this effort, but publicly expressed his support for the new administration.

Bashagha had pledged, as interior minister, to monitor the armed groups that hold power on the ground in western Libya since the 2011 uprising and often have official status in the defense and interior ministries.

The last few weeks have seen relative calm, but loud gunfire could be heard from the center of Tripoli late at night between Saturday and Sunday, and more gunfire was heard in the city center on Sunday night.