Libya military intelligence chief killed in Benghazi car bombing, officials say

The killing highlights continuing security challenges in Libya, where rival administrations and armed groups have retained influence despite a 2020 ceasefire that halted major warfare.Follow us on GoogleLibyan army vehicles take part in the "Dara' al-Karama 2" military exercises, conducted by the Libyan National Army (LNA), under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, in the Ras al-Alba region in southeastern Libya on May 16, 2026. (photo credit: Abdullah DOMA/ AFP via Getty Images)ByREUTERSAUGUST 11, 2026 05:29The head of military intelligence for eastern Libya's Libyan National Army was killed on Monday when an explosive device detonated in his car outside his home in the Hawari area of Benghazi, two security sources told Reuters.Brigadier Fowzi Mansouri was killed in the evening blast, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. They did not say who was responsible for the attack or provide further details on the device.The killing highlights continuing security challenges in Libya, where rival administrations and armed groups have retained influence despite a 2020 ceasefire that halted major warfare. Libya split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi.The Libyan National Army, led by military commander Khalifa Haftar, controls much of eastern and southern Libya. It is aligned with authorities based in Benghazi, while the internationally recognized Government of National Unity is based in the capital Tripoli and controls much of the west.Libya's central bank governor submits resignation, documents showThe governor of Libya's Central Bank (CBL), Naji Issa, has submitted his resignation to the country's rival legislative chambers, according to two documents seen by Reuters on Monday.Cars parked in front of Libya's Central Bank branch the southern city of Sebha on September 4, 2024 (credit: Abdullah DOMA/ AFP via Getty Images)In the documents, whose authenticity was confirmed by Issa, he said he could not continue in his post, but did not explain why, citing the sensitivity of the reasons.Issa said in the documents addressed to the heads of the two rival chambers that he could not continue in his post."I apologize for not being able to continue in my duties as Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, without stating the reasons, due to their sensitivity," the two documents read.Issa confirmed the authenticity of the letters in a message to Reuters, declining to reveal more about the reasons behind his decision.The two documents are dated August 9.The two legislative chambers are the eastern-based House of Representatives that was elected in 2014 and the High Council of State in the west, which was formed as part of a 2015 political ​agreement and whose members were drawn from a parliament elected in 2012.Libya has been divided since 2014 into rival authorities in the west and east that emerged from the chaos following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.The two chambers have not yet responded to Issa's request.Issa took up the post in 2024 when the two legislative chambers agreed his appointment as a way to end a standoff over control of the CBL that led to the ousting of former governor Sadiq al-Kabir.The standoff was triggered when western factions moved in August 2024 to oust Kabir and replace him with a rival board, leading eastern factions to shut down all oil production. The move sharply reduced Libya's oil output and exports during the crisis.Follow us on Google