Car bomb kills at least seven in Libya's Benghazi

At least seven people were killed and around 20 others injured late Thursday in a car bomb attack in the centre of Benghazi in eastern Libya, a local security official said.

The bomb exploded close to the Tibesti hotel on a busy road where many people go to celebrate during the month of Ramadan, the official said, adding that the victims were civilians.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but the Libyan official blamed the assault on "terrorist sleeper cells who want to send a message that Benghazi is not safe."

No more details on the bombing were immediately available. Eight cars parked on the street lined with shops were destroyed.

Unrest in Benghazi

Libya has been rocked by chaos since a 2011 uprising which toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, with two rival authorities and multiple militias vying for control of the oil-rich country. 

Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, is controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA), the dominant force in eastern Libya led by commander Khalifa Haftar.

The LNA was battling militants, including some linked to Daesh and Al Qaeda, as well as other opponents until late last year in the Mediterranean port city.

Security has improved since then, but two mosque bombings earlier this year killed at least 35 people.

Haftar launched his military campaign in Benghazi in May 2014 in response to bombings and assassinations blamed on militants, part of anarchy that ensued after a NATO-backed uprising ended Gaddafi's rule in 2011.

In the past few months, there have been occasional, smaller- scale bombings apparently targeting LNA allies or supporters, but attacks in the city centre are rare.