Three killed in terrorist attack on Libya hotel

Tripoli, Jan 27: At least two Islamic State (IS) militants launched an attack on Libya's biggest hotel in the capital Tripoli Tuesday, killing three people and injuring several others, according to security sources. Some witnesses said a bomb was detonated at Corinthia Hotel's parking lot around 10 a.m. shaking the whole central area of the city, and then two men firing guns dashed into the hotel building. A large number of security forces were on the scene. A security source told Xinhua news agency that three guards were killed and the gunmen have taken some hostages, making it a standoff. Nearby office buildings were evacuated after the explosion. The IS offshoot in Libya, "Tripoli Province", claimed the attack on its official social media webpage, calling it the "Battle of Sheikh Abu Anas al-Libi." It said the reason for the explosion is that the hotel contained "non-Muslim diplomatic missions and security companies".