TRIPOLI: Gunmen shot dead well a prominent Libyan journalist and critic of Islamists in the eastern city of Benghazi on Monday, security officials said.
Muftah Bu-Zaid, editor-in-chief of Brnieq, one of Benghazi's most important newspapers, was killed by bullets to the head, stomach and hands while travelling in his car in the morning, a medical source said. There was no claim of responsibility.
Libya has been in a state of armed disorder since the 2011 uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi spawned a plethora of rebel militias, including radical Islamists, that often challenge the legitimacy of the state.
The security situation in Benghazi, the oil-producing state's second city and major port, has worsened since renegade general Khalifa Haftar declared war last week on "terrorists" by attacking Islamist militants roaming unchallenged.
Bu-Zaid had only late on Monday given an interview to Libyan channel Al-Ahrar to discuss the political situation and recent appointment of Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq. (Reuters)
