Car bomb kills Haftar intel chief in eastern Libya

A car bomb killed Fawzi al-Mansouri, the Haftar intel chief for eastern Libya's Libyan National Army (LNA), on Monday night, the LNA said in a Tuesday statement. An explosive device attached to his car detonated as he left a mosque in Benghazi. Libya's rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi both condemned the killing as a terrorist attack.

What happened to Libya's Haftar intel chief?

Brigadier Fawzi al-Mansouri, head of military intelligence for the LNA, was assassinated in Benghazi on Monday night. A bomb attached to his car exploded as he was leaving a local mosque. The LNA confirmed his death in a statement issued Tuesday, calling him a heroic martyr and vowing to continue fighting terrorism.

Who is blamed for the attack on Fawzi al-Mansouri?

Khaled Haftar, son of LNA chief Khalifa Haftar, told AFP that authorities had opened an investigation into the killing. He said early indicators pointed to "a despicable terrorist tactic." Terrorism, he added, is a project targeting the entire region, not just Libya.

Authorities have not identified the perpetrators. Khaled's office later said security forces arrested a terrorist cell in Benghazi that was preparing acts of sabotage. It did not say whether the cell was linked to al-Mansouri's assassination.

How does the killing affect Libya's reunification plan?

The bombing undermines efforts by the Haftars to project stability in the areas they control. Hamish Kinnear, an analyst at UK-based Verisk Maplecroft, said an attack of this sophistication inside an LNA stronghold is a major blow to the group's security credentials. He added that the intelligence needed to target such a senior figure points to significant capabilities on the part of those responsible.

Al-Mansouri's death came as Washington was mediating a plan to unify Libya's executive powers, an effort the LNA has publicly supported. Kinnear said the killing bodes poorly for that process, since neither side is likely to remain satisfied with its position for long. He warned a new, destabilizing power struggle could soon emerge.

Libya expert Jalel Harchaoui said the killing would disrupt, or at least delay, the US-brokered deal. He explained the agreement rests on the premise that security holds in Benghazi and that loyalty to Saddam Haftar, Khalifa's son and heir apparent, guarantees protection for senior officers there. A bomb that kills the intelligence chief as he leaves a mosque undermines both premises, he said. Reunification, Harchaoui added, would also require gestures of openness toward reform within the army.

The Tripoli-based government denounced the killing as a terrorist attack, saying it condemned the act regardless of political alliances.

Who was Fawzi al-Mansouri?

Al-Mansouri was a prominent military leader with close ties to the Haftar family. Between 2014 and 2017, he played a key role in LNA operations against jihadist groups, including the Islamic State, in parts of eastern Libya. He was also a leading figure in Haftar's Russia-backed 2019 offensive to seize Tripoli, an assault that Turkish-backed forces eventually repelled.

Authorities held al-Mansouri's funeral in Benghazi on Tuesday afternoon. Photos released by the LNA showed armed men in military fatigues alongside senior officials, including Khaled and Saddam Haftar. Libya has remained divided since the 2011 ouster of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, split between the UN-recognized government of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah in Tripoli and the Haftar-backed administration in Benghazi.