Gunmen storm HQ of Libya's state oil firm
Two staff killed, 10 injured
Several armed men attacked the headquarters of Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) in the capital Tripoli yesterday, killing at least two staff members, a security official said.
In the first attack of its kind against the top managers of Libya's state oil industry, two of the gunmen were also killed and at least 10 NOC staff wounded, officials said.
Security forces said they had regained control of the landmark glass-fronted building in the centre of the city.
The attack came less than a week after a fragile truce halted fierce clashes between rival armed groups in Tripoli, the latest eruption of violence in Libya, which has been in turmoil since a 2011 uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
Armed groups regularly block oilfields to make demands but the NOC headquarters had so far been spared the violence.
The NOC provides the vast bulk of Libya's state income and, along with the Tripoli-based central bank, is one of the only state institutions still functioning well amid chaos.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for yesterday's attack. But the interior ministry said in a statement initial indications showed the gunmen belonged to Islamic State, which has previously carried out attacks in Tripoli and other Libyan towns and cities.
Gunfire rang out in the morning as security forces allied to the Tripoli-based government arrived.