Bombs target shuttered Egyptian and UAE embassies in Libya

Twin car bombs on Thursday morning struck near the shuttered Egyptian and United Arab Emirates embassy buildings in the militia-controlled Libyan capital, Tripoli.

Two guards posted outside the empty Egyptian embassy were wounded in the first blast, Libya's LANA news agency reported.

Three more posted outside the empty UAE compound were wounded in the second attack, according to a senior official in Abu Dhabi.

Both governments are considered hostile by the Islamist-led militias which seized Tripoli in August. UAE warplanes carried out airstrikes against them from neighbouring Egypt during their offensive on the capital.

The first bomb went off in a car park close to the Egyptian embassy building, shattering several of its windows.

The second went off minutes later just outside the UAE mission compound, wounding the three guards, who were not Emiratis, the Abu Dhabi official said.

The blast showed the need for greater support for Libya's internationally recognised government.

"This is an indication of the state of lawlessness in the Tripoli area," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He said the blast showed the need for greater support for Libya's internationally recognised government, which has taken refuge in the eastern town of Tobruk.

"The unruly conditions that we are seeing will deteriorate further if the extremist militia continue to control the Libyan capital," he said.

Washington confirmed that Abu Dhabi launched airstrikes against militia fighters from an Egyptian base in August in an abortive attempt to prevent their capture of Tripoli airport.

Egypt has denied participating in the raids.

Egypt closed its embassy in Tripoli in January and the UAE followed suit in May as security conditions in the capital deteriorated.

Three years after dictator Muammar Gadaffi was toppled and killed in a NATO-backed revolt, Libya is awash with weapons and powerful militias, and run by rival governments and parliaments.

On the diplomatic front, the UN special representative for Libya, Bernardino Leon, is trying to initiate "an inclusive dialogue aimed at reaching political agreement", his office said.

Libyan media said Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Karti has travelled to the country to join the UN efforts and sound out the rival parties on the prospects of convening a meeting in Khartoum.

Meanwhile, an Italian construction engineer abducted in Libya four months ago has been freed and is on his way home, said the foreign ministry. They provided no details of how he was liberated.