Libyan officials: Car bomb targets military base in Benghazi, kills 5 people

TRIPOLI, Libya – Libyan officials say a car bomb has targeted a military base in the eastern city of Benghazi, killing five soldiers and wounding at least 14 people.

Security officials say Monday’s explosion struck outside the base during an inauguration ceremony for new officers. Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures, saying five bodies were brought to the Benghazi Medical Center.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.

Benghazi, the birthplace of the 2011 uprising that led to the downfall of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, has seen a sharp rise in attacks and assassinations targeting military and police troops.

A weak central government in the capital, Tripoli, has struggled to rein in unruly militias, most of which stem from the former rebels who fought Gadhafi.