Libyan PM survives assassination attempt as car shot: Sources
India Today
Amid intense factional wrangling over control of the Libyan government, Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah survived an assassination attempt.
Assailants struck Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah's car with bullets early on Thursday but he escaped unharmed, a source close to him said, amid intense factional wrangling over control of the government.
The source said the incident happened as Dbeibah was returning home, describing it as a clear assassination attempt, but the attackers fled and the incident has been referred for investigation.
Reuters has seen no immediate photographs or footage of the incident or its aftermath or spoken to other witnesses to the incident.
If confirmed, an attempt to assassinate Dbeibah could aggravate the crisis over control of Libya after he said he will ignore a vote scheduled by the eastern-based parliament later on Thursday to replace him.
Armed forces have mobilised more fighters and equipment in the capital over recent weeks, raising fears the political crisis could trigger fighting.
Libya has had little peace or stability since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, and it split in 2014 between warring factions in east and west.
Dbeibah was installed in March as head of the U.N.-backed Government of National Unity (GNU) that was meant to unify the country's divided institutions and oversee the run-up to an election in December as part of a peace process.
