[Libya Herald] A car bomb exploded last night at a checkpoint on the coastal road just outside Khoms yesterday evening. One guard was immediately killed but two others who were among the seven wounded are said to have since died from their injuries.All are reported to be from Khoms.
The checkpoint, next to a military base, also houses the control centre for all the checkpoints from Dafniya, west of Misrata, to the east Tripoli suburb of Tajoura
It was initially reported that there were three cars bombs, but it is thought that two others blew up when the first exploded.
The attack has all the hallmarks of an Islamic State operation. It has launched a series of similar attacks at checkpoints in and around Misrata, 60 kilometres further east. However, there are also suggestions that it may be linked to last week’s clashes between a Misratan brigade and Khoms forces which resulted in the coastal road being closed for 36 hours.
That situation was resolved when the Misratan militia headed by Safwan Goneidi agreed to pull out of Khoms port where it had installed itself. It is reported that Khoms municipal council had since been warned that the militia might try to attack the control centre in revenge.