(Vatican Radio) The French embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli was hit by what appeared
to be a car bomb on Tuesday injuring two guards. Residents living near the embassy
compound in the Gargaresh area of Tripoli woke up to the sounds of two explosions
which left a trail of damage in their wake. Tuesday's attack was the first such
serious assault on an embassy or foreign mission in Tripoli, since the end of the
2011 war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi. The French Embassy said they thought the
blast was caused by a booby trapped car and in a statement issued on Tuesday French
President Francois Hollande said ``France expects the Libyan authorities to shed the
fullest light on this unacceptable act, so that the perpetrators are identified and
brought to justice.''
This is not the first time a diplomatic mission has been
targeted in Libya. Last September the US mission in the eastern city of Bengazi was
attacked killing the US Ambassador and three other Americans. Listen to this report
by Lydia O’Kane