Suicide Attack by ISIS Militants in Libya; 14 Killed

During a suicide attack by militants from the group known as ISIS or the Islamic State in Tripoli on an electoral commission office, 14 people were killed. It has been reported that two suicide bombers entered this office in central Tripoli and opened fire on those inside. When their ammunition ran out, they detonated themselves. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement published by the group's affiliated site, 'Amaq News.' The Libyan Minister of Health stated that following the explosion of the two attackers, the electoral commission building also caught fire. Several images of the burning building were shared on social media on Wednesday. ISIS and other extremist Islamist groups oppose holding elections in Libya. The United Nations and foreign countries supporting Libya have called for elections to be held this year despite security issues. The U.S. State Department also condemned the attack in a statement. Embassies of foreign countries and other international monitoring bodies condemned the attack as well. The UN representative office in Libya also stated in a statement that 'the emergence of violence does not prevent the Libyan people's movement towards national unity and the rule of law.' For the parliamentary and presidential elections in Libya this year, electoral observers from the Group of Four will be sent to Libya to ensure that transparent and fair elections will be held. The Group of Four consists of the UN, the European Union, the Arab League, and the African Union.