A terrorist attack in Libya which killed 65 people is unlikely to help the country’s rival authorities to overcome their differences, Foreign Minister George Vella said.

A powerful truck bomb was set off at the police camp in the town of Zliten as police recruits were gathering for morning training yesterday. The town is 60 kilometres west of Libya’s third largest city, Misurata.

An injured man receives treatment yesterday at a hospital in Misurata, Libya, after one of the country’s worst truck bombs in years exploded at a police training centre in the town of Zliten. Photo: Aimen Elsahli/Reuters

Explosions also rocked the eastern city of Derna but no casualties were reported.

Dr Vella said this was “saddening news” and an indication that terrorism in the beleaguered country was on the rise.

The attack in Zliten came a day after Islamic State fighters unsuccessfully tried to take the oil export terminals at Sidra and Ras Lanuf. In the attacks six oil tanks were set ablaze.

“God forbid ISIS [also known as Islamic State] get hold of the ports of Adjadbija and Ras Lanuf because they would then control the principal Libyan oil ports,” Dr Vella said.

In a statement, EU foreign affairs representative Federica Mogherini said Libyans deserved peace and security. She urged Libyans to unite behind the political agreement reached last month and set aside their divisions to fight against the terrorist threat in their country.

Islamic State has taken advantage of the bickering between Libya’s rival factions to strengthen its presence there as a deadline for the formal creation of a unity government backed by the UN approaches.

So far the unity government plan signed by different Libyan factions last month does not enjoy the support of all sides.

“Logic dictates that faced by a rising threat from Islamic State, the different factions would set aside objections and back the UN plan… I wish the terrorist attacks could help quicken this process but I am doubtful because there are still too many people who oppose the Kobler plan,” Dr Vella said.

Every day is a century and at any stage there could be individuals who decide to back out

UN Special Envoy Martin Kobler brokered the peace deal that was signed in Skhirat, Morocco last month but in a rare show of unity the heads of the rival parliaments in the west and east had met in Malta ahead of the deal asking for matters not to be rushed.

Since then, Mr Kobler seems to have convinced Agila Salah, from the internationally-recognised parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk, to back the plan.

But Nuri Abu Sahmain, from the the Tripoli-based General National Congress rejects it. “Although Salah has been convinced to support the plan he has not yet managed to convene the Tobruk House of Representatives to secure their backing,” Dr Vella said.

The Libya Herald reported this week that two meetings of the Tobruk parliament had to be cancelled because a quorum could not be reached.

Members were planning to vote on the UN-brokered Skhirat Libyan Political Agreement and the Government of National Accord led by Faiez Serraj.

According to the UN deal, the Serraj-led GNA will take over all sovereign functions irrespective of whether the Tobruk and Tripoli parliaments vote for it or not.

After the agreed timeline of January 26, the international community will only be able to deal with the GNA.

Dr Vella was reluctant to predict how things could turn out, insisting it would be “presumptuous” to do so.

“Every day is a century and at any stage there could be individuals who decide to back out.

“Kobler is trying to rope in the Tripoli authorities and it is not an easy task.”

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com