Minister in Libya’s national unity government injured in gun attack on car | News

The UN-recognised government condemns assassination attempt targeting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Adel Jumaa.

Libya’s Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Adel Jumaa has been injured following a gun attack in the capital.

The Libya Observer and Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday that unknown gunmen opened fire on Jumaa’s vehicle in Tripoli, leaving him wounded in the leg.

The report said Jumaa was rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery following the attack.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement, the national unity government condemned the attack, saying Jumaa’s condition was “stable”.

It added that security agencies have launched an investigation “to track down the perpetrators and uncover the circumstances of the incident”.

“The government emphasised that it will not tolerate any attempts to undermine the security and stability of the state, reaffirming its commitment to taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of officials and citizens,” the government statement said.

Libya plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich nation has been ruled for most of the past decade by rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by an array of fighter groups and foreign governments.

In 2020, warring parties in Libya signed a ceasefire agreement, but a political standoff has led to the formation of two separate governments in the North African country.

The United Nations-recognised national unity government is based in Tripoli, while the opposing body, the Government of National Stability, is based in the eastern city of Benghazi.