Islamist militant
Photo: AP
Two dead in gun attack on S. Korea embassy in Libya
Two Libyan security guards shot dead in drive-by; supporters of Islamic State affiliate claim responsibility.
Unidentified gunmen attacked South Korea's embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Sunday and killed two local security guards, officials said.
The gunmen opened fire on the embassy compound from a passing car, killing two people and wounding a third, a Libyan interior ministry spokesman told AFP.
Police checkpoint in Libya, January 2015 (Photo: AFP)
A security source said the two dead were both Libyan guards, adding that while the embassy had been closed for several months, South Korean officials were continuing to use it.
Supporters of the Islamic State group's affiliate in Tripoli claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter later Sunday.
The foreign ministry in Seoul confirmed the attack, saying three South Koreans working in the embassy -- including two diplomats -- were unhurt.
"We do not know whether the attack targeted the embassy or the Libyan (security) officers," a ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that it was considering evacuating all its staffers from the country.
An AFP photographer at the scene of the attack said a vehicle used by the security guards was riddled with bullet holes, while it appeared that the main embassy building had not been hit.
Militant groups operate freely in Libya, which is torn between a militia-backed government in Tripoli and an internationally recognized government in the east.
Militias which fought to topple Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011 often carry out kidnappings or attacks targeting foreigners in the Libyan capital.
The country has been awash with weapons since the end of the uprising that killed Gaddafi and has been gripped by increasing lawlessness.
