Car bomb explodes outside French embassy in Libya leaving two guards seriously injured [size=16pt][/size]

-First such attack in the Libyan capital since the 2011 war

-Car bombs were thought to be detonated near the embassy wall

-Blast caused serious damage to the building



France's embassy in Tripoli has been hit by what appeared to be a car bomb this morning, injuring two guards.
It was the first assault on a diplomatic mission in Tripoli, considered safer than the rest of the North African country, since the end of the 2011 war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, leaving Libya awash with weapons and roaming armed groups.
There have been several attacks on diplomatic missions, notably in the eastern city of Benghazi, where the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed last September.






U.S. officials say militants with ties to al Qaeda were mostly likely involved in that attack but no-one has claimed it.

Al Qaeda's north African arm AQIM has warned of retaliation for France's intervention in Mali but there was no indication as to who was behind Tuesday's explosion at the embassy in Libya.
Residents living near the embassy compound, in the capital's Hay Andalus area, said they heard two blasts early in the morning around 0700 a.m. (0500 GMT).
A large chunk of the wall around the compound collapsed into rubble and one corner of the embassy building had caved in. Office cabinets lay scattered on the ground outside and water from a burst pipe ran down the street.
Residents pointed to shrapnel belonging to the car they said had exploded, such as a distorted wheel axle and pieces of the motor lying on the ground.

'We think it was a booby trapped car,' a French embassy official told Reuters. 'There was a lot of damage and there are two guards wounded.'

French President Francois Hollande condemned the attack.
'France expects the Libyan authorities to shed light on this unacceptable act so that the authors are identified and brought to justice,' he said in a statement.
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will travel to Tripoli on Tuesday, an official from his ministry said.
The Libyan army cordoned off the compound as dozens gathered outside. An embassy employee arrived at the scene and burst into tears when she saw the destruction. She was let inside to join colleagues and French security staff.

The Russians must be laughing their hearts off by now!

"Damn you westerners, you never learn, do you? If you were expecting these people to come back with a thank you card and a flower vase, then you are as dumb as a brick."

This will further strengthen Putin's resolve to hold on to Russia's position on Syria.