ADDIS ABABA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has strongly condemned the terrorist attack against the Libya National Election Commission.
Conveying his condolences to the bereaved families and the people and government of Libya, Mahamat said the Pan-African bloc would continue to support the government of Libya to ensure that the northern African nation continues on the path of peace, security and development, according to an AU statement on Friday.
The death toll in an attack by Islamic State (IS) suicide bombers on the headquarters of the election commission in Tripoli on Wednesday has risen to 15 while 21 others were injured, according to a local medical source.
Libya has been suffering insecurity and political division since the 2011 uprising that toppled the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
During its recent meeting, the AU high-level committee on Libya, expressed deep concern over the security situation in Libya and condemned the additional inflow of arms into the country.
Expressing deep concern over the proliferation of armed groups and criminal activities in the South of Libya, in particular, the AU high-level committee underlined the need for a tailored engagement strategy, including through convening of a meeting with key stakeholders in that region.
A tripartite task force of the AU, the European Union (EU), and the United Nations (UN) has also been endeavoring to support stranded African migrants in Libya, while consolidating efforts to dismantle organized networks of human traffickers and migrant smugglers.