Former Libyan colonel assassinated in Benghazi

A former colonel in the now-dissolved Libyan internal security agency in Benghazi, east of Libya, was killed on Tuesday after his car was bombed in Al Salam neighborhood in the city, a security official told Xinhua. A group of unidentified men assassinated Colonel Salim Mohamed Abdel Hafiz Al Arafy by detonating his car in Al Salam neighborhood in Benghazi, said Colonel Abdullah Al Zaidi, the spokesman of the joint security operations room in charge of securing Benghazi. He added that another person, who was accompanying Al Arafy, was seriously wounded in the blast and moved to hospital for medical treatment. It is still unknown if the car was detonated by an explosive device or was remotely hit by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), Al Zaidi said. After ridding ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi nearly two years ago, Libya is still far from enjoying tranquility and prosperity due to a weak central government, while the existence of various wartime local military councils poses continuous danger to the country's stability. Many security officials, political activists and media figures have been similarly assassinated in Benghazi since 2011.