Libya says it thwarted missile attack on UN mission in Tripoli

TRIPOLI / ISTANBUL

Libya’s Interior Ministry said early Friday that it thwarted a missile attack on the headquarters of the UN mission in the capital, Tripoli.

“An attempt to target the headquarters of the UN mission with an SPG (self-propelled gun) missile was thwarted,” a ministry statement said.

A house was struck in the Janzour district but no damage was reported. Authorities said a Toyota Camry carrying two additional rockets and a launchpad used in the attack was seized, and an investigation is underway to identify the perpetrators.

The ministry vowed “no tolerance for criminals and outlaws,” stressing its commitment to securing international missions and embassies.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) confirmed on the US social media company X that a missile had been launched near its compound during the briefing of UN Special Representative Hanna Tetteh to the Security Council, but said no damage occurred.

During her briefing, Tetteh outlined a roadmap aimed at forming a unified government in Libya following recent municipal elections, which are viewed as a key step toward strengthening local governance and ending the country’s prolonged transitional period.

Libya remains divided between two rival administrations: the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, which controls the west, and another appointed by the House of Representatives in 2022, led by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which governs the east and much of the south.

Both leaders welcomed the roadmap, with Hammad issuing a statement of support and Dbeibah calling it “a step in the right direction.”