Libya’s deputy industry minister was killed during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, east of Tripoli, security sources told Agence France-Presse on Saturday.
The minister, Hassan Al Droui, was killed by unidentified gunmen.
“Hassan Al Droui, the deputy minister for industry, was killed by unknown attackers overnight, during a visit to his native city of Sirte,” a security official told AFP.
“Unidentified gunmen sprayed bullets on Mr. Droui in central Sirte,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Since the collapse of Moammar Gaddafi’s autocratic regime in October 2011, Libya has been plagued by sporadic violence, including a string of assassinations targeting top army and security officials.
Sirte was the last regime bastion to fall into opposition fighters’ hands in 2011.
Droui was a former member of the National Transitional Council, the political arm of the rebellion that brought an end to Gaddafi’s 42-year rule.
He was appointed deputy minister for industry by the transitional government’s first prime minister, Abdelrahim Al Kib, and kept his job when Ali Zeidan took over.
Hospital officials confirmed the deputy minister’s death and added that he had suffered bullet wounds to several parts of his body, according to AFP.
