Bomb Explosion in Libya Kills at Least 60 Police Officers

Libyan officials announced on Thursday, January 7, that at least 60 police officers were killed and 200 others injured due to a large bomb explosion that was planted in a truck near a police training center in the city of Zliten in western Libya. The Associated Press reports that no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing yet, but in recent months, the Islamic State group has attempted to expand its activities from the city of Sirte on the northern coast of Libya and establish its presence in Zliten. Several hours after the explosion, rescue teams were only able to find 60 bodies among the wreckage caused by the blast. Libyan officials say the death toll is likely higher. According to an unnamed police official in Zliten, the training camp, which was training 400 new officers, was used by the Libyan Border Police. Last year, the Libyan Border Police thwarted numerous human trafficking operations along the Zliten coast. Traffickers operating in Libya are known for their ruthless reactions to any actions that disrupt their lucrative trade. However, there have been no reports of traffickers using explosives planted in vehicles until now. Therefore, it is suspected that radical Islamist groups carried out this bombing. It remains unclear whether this bombing was carried out in a suicide manner, which is a common method of the Islamic State group. In recent years, thousands of migrants have attempted to cross from the Libyan coast to the southern shores of Europe in small, unsafe boats, with hundreds drowning on this route. Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, chaos and insecurity have prevailed in Libya. Concurrently, two rival governments have emerged in the country, one based in Tripoli and the other recognized by the international community in the east of the country. Additionally, a national unity government supported by the United Nations is based in neighboring Tunisia. Residents of Libya's coastal cities have long expressed concerns about the dangerous activities of various trafficking groups in these ports. Officials and responsible institutions acknowledge the risks posed by these groups but state that they cannot combat these trafficking networks without international assistance.