Senior Libyan National Army officials gathered in Benghazi on Tuesday for the funeral of military intelligence chief Fawzi al-Mansouri, killed in a car bombing a day earlier as he left a mosque. His assassination has raised fresh security concerns in Libya’s divided east.
The funeral brought together senior LNA officials and armed personnel, including Khaled and Saddam Haftar, sons of LNA commander Khalifa Haftar.
The LNA described al-Mansouri as a “heroic martyr” after an explosive attached to his car detonated as he was leaving a local mosque on Monday night.
Authorities have not identified those behind the attack.
Prominent figure in LNA campaigns
Al-Mansouri was a senior military figure with close ties to the Haftar family.
He played a key role in the LNA’s fight against jihadist groups, including Islamic State militants, in eastern Libya between 2014 and 2017.
He was also involved in Khalifa Haftar’s Russia-backed offensive to capture Tripoli in 2019. The assault was eventually repelled by forces based in the capital, with support from Turkey.
Attack raises security concerns
The bombing has dealt a blow to efforts by the eastern authorities to project an image of stability in areas controlled by the LNA.
Hamish Kinnear, an analyst with Verisk Maplecroft, said the sophistication of the attack represented a major setback for the LNA’s security credentials.
He said the intelligence needed to successfully target such a high-profile figure suggested significant capabilities on the part of those responsible.
Libya remains divided
Libya has been divided since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Two rival administrations continue to compete for power: the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in Benghazi backed by Haftar and the LNA.
The political division has persisted despite repeated international efforts to reunify the country and organise nationwide elections.
Fresh pressure on unity efforts
Al-Mansouri’s assassination comes as Washington-backed efforts seek to unify Libya’s rival executive authorities.
The LNA has publicly supported the plan, but analysts warn that the killing could complicate efforts to reach a political settlement.
Kinnear said the attack did not bode well for plans to reunify Libya and warned that neither side was likely to remain satisfied with its position for long.
He cautioned that a new destabilising power struggle could emerge.
LNA vows to continue fight
Following the bombing, the LNA pledged to continue fighting terrorism and working towards what it called the stability, security and reunification of Libya’s institutions.
The killing of one of its most senior intelligence officials in Benghazi, however, underscores the security challenges facing the eastern authorities as Libya remains locked in a prolonged political divide.
