[attach id=254894 size="medium"]Bystanders in front of a police station after it was set on fire by an angry crowd in Benghazi last week. Photo: Reuters[/attach]
A blast outside a Catholic Church in Benghazi injured no one as Libya’s second largest city continues to grapple with a wave of unexplained bombings.
The bomb exploded outside the main door of the church on Friday night, shattering several window panes. Priests who live in a house adjacent to the church were unhurt.
Fr Alan Castillo, a Filipino priest who assists Maltese Bishop Mgr Sylvester Magro, was uninjured while Mgr Magro was away from the country, attending a conference in Spain, on Friday.
A Benghazi resident who spoke to Times of Malta on condition of anonymity said the latest explosion contributed to the instability of recent weeks.
He said police and soldiers were more visible on the streets, manning every corner and carrying assault weapons. People were fearful because they did not know who was behind the bombs and their motive, he added.
“It seems nowhere is safe anymore and people have been going out less. Shop sales have also dwindled as a result,” he said.
Last week two bombs went off outside a police station and a Benghazi hospital. The hospital blast seems to have been accidental, according to what Libyan government officials told CNN, but the explosions follow various attacks in the eastern city where the revolution that toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi started.
The US ambassador to Libya was killed last year after militants stormed the US compound.
Foreign Minister George Vella said the situation in Libya was a matter of concern. He condemned the violence and expressed solidarity with the Catholic community in Benghazi.
Dr Vella was in contact with Malta’s consul in Benghazi, Joe Pirotta, who is the only EU diplomat in the city.
He called for increased vigilance and said the Government would “redouble its efforts to contribute to peace and stability in Libya”.
Fr Castillo said the church repair work will be done by a Maltese man who lives near Benghazi.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com