Bombs flattened a police station in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday but there were no casualties as the building had been emptied for repairs following previous attacks, security officials said.

The al-Hadaiq station in downtown Benghazi was completely destroyed by explosives at around 3am. The blast was so loud it could be heard across the city.

Smashed furniture littered the ground and nearby shopfronts were damaged.

“From the debris, it looks as if explosive devices were placed all around the building,” said Mohammed al-Hajazi, spokesman for Benghazi’s operation room.

Last month the station was set on fire in a possible act of revenge for the killing of a man in an attack on police nearby.

Libya remains anarchic and awash with weapons nearly two years after dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled. Tensions have been rising between militia groups of former rebel fighters and the Government, which is still struggling to assert its authority.

Benghazi, the cradle of the 2011 uprising against Gaddafi, has became a hotspot for violence, with a wave of attacks on security forces.

On Saturday, six soldiers were killed and five injured in clashes between Libyan special forces and armed protesters outside a special forces base in Benghazi.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.