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Foreigners killed in attack on Libyan hotel

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Five foreigners were among nine people killed in an attack on a hotel in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.


Several gunmen stormed the Corinthia Hotel and opened fire in the reception area. A car bomb also exploded nearby.


Unconfirmed reports say some of the assailants blew themselves up. The dead reportedly include one US and one French citizen.


Four security guards are among the dead and several people are reported to be injured.


A Twitter account linked to Islamic State said the militant group carried out the attack.


A civilian who witnessed the attack told the BBC: “I suddenly heard shots and saw people running towards me, and we all escaped from the back [of the hotel] through the underground garage. The hotel did a lockdown after that.”


Different sources at the scene said there were between three and five attackers.


The US State Department confirmed the death of a US citizen, without giving any further details. The dead American is believed to have been a security contractor.

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