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Multiple car bombs kill 10 in east Libya: Official

This file photo shows the site of a car bomb attack in Tripoli, Libya.

Three separate car bomb attacks carried out simultaneously have killed at least ten people in Libya’s eastern city of Derna.

According to Hamid Albandag, the coastal city's representative in the country's internationally-recognized government, the blasts took place on Friday evening.

Following the deadly attacks, clashes erupted between militants belonging to ISIL terror group's local affiliate and al-Qaeda-linked militants. The fighting continued into the Saturday afternoon.

The explosions come as the Libyan military has surrounded Derna from all directions for months.

In June, the al-Qaeda-linked militants drove ISIL terrorists from the city's central part, which was under their control since late last year.

Libya, an oil-rich country in North Africa, plunged into chaos after an uprising in 2011 led to the ouster and subsequent death of its long-time dictator, Muammar Gaddafi.

The country is now run by rival governments and parliaments, while different militant groups are battling for influence and oil wealth.

The capital, Tripoli, is controlled by Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militia, while Tobruk and Bayda in the east are home to the internationally-recognized government.

Warring sides are now in talks to end months of fighting in the country.

UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman Melissa Fleming recently said the number of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Libya had increased from an estimated 230,000 recorded last September to over 434,000.

MR/HSN/HMV


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