A British diplomatic convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday, wounding two security guards, officials said.

An AFP journalist saw a white armoured vehicle with a diplomatic plate parked outside the British consulate in Benghazi. There was blood on the front passenger seat, he said.

“A convoy carrying the British Ambassador to Libya (Dominic Asquith) was involved in a serious incident in Benghazi this afternoon,” an embassy spokesman said. “Two close protection officers were injured in the attack but all other staff are safe and uninjured. We are working with the Libyan authorities to establish who was responsible for the attack.” The two officers were both British citizens. Deputy Interior Minister Unis Sharif said the vehicle hit was carrying security personnel in a convoy for the head of the British diplomatic mission in Benghazi.

“The rocket hit the security vehicle and one member of the security team was critically injured,” he said, adding the blast came as the convoy crossed the neighbourhood of Al-Kish. The British Foreign Office also confirmed the attack in a statement that said it was “working with the Libyan authorities to establish who was responsible.”

The attack comes five days after a small bomb was set off outside the US diplomatic mission in the same city, wounding one guard.