Reports: Gunmen kill at least 5 in southeast Libya

BENGHAZI, Libya – A Libyan doctor and an eyewitness say armed men in pickup trucks have killed at least five people in an attack in the southeastern town of Tazirbu.

Basit Alzway, a witness from Tazirbu, says Friday’s attack targeted a police station and the casualties included policemen and civilians.

He says the gunmen also kidnapped several citizens before fleeing the scene.

Mahmoud AbuShumo, a doctor at a local hospital, also confirmed the attack saying it bore the hallmarks of the extremist Islamic State group.

Libya plunged into chaos after a 2011 uprising that ousted and killed its longtime ruler. IS militants were driven out of their chief stronghold in Sirte in 2016. They have since taken refuge in the vast deserts of central and southern Libya, where they continue to stage attacks.