by Mahmoud Darwesh, Nawas Darraji
TRIPOLI, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The recent escalation of terrorist attacks on mosques in east Libya's Benghazi has posed rising security threat to the city, of which the army just gained control from terrorist groups by the end of 2017, experts said.
GROWING ATTACKS ON MOSQUES
Two people were killed and 143 others were wounded, including children, when a bomb exploded inside a mosque in Benghazi during Friday prayers.
Col. Milud Zwai, spokesman for the eastern-based army's special forces, said preliminary investigations indicated that the bombing was carried out by terrorists remotely by placing bags laden with explosives inside the mosque.
The attack came after a twin car bomb attack at a mosque in Benghazi's Salmani district two week ago, killing 34 people and injuring more than 100 others, mostly civilians.
Khalid Turjuman, chairman of the Libyan National Action Group, compared the recent bombings of Benghazi's mosques to the terrorist attacks in northern Sinai in Egypt, where worshipers inside mosques have been targeted with similar bombings, with the intent to cause panic and intimidation and to kill as many as possible.
Turjuman said that he believes these kinds of bombings are an attempt to disrupt security in the city, with the fleeing terrorists trying to still "prove" their presence.
"They are conveying a message to the people of the city that they are still there," Turjuman said. "It is a dangerous development that needs a firm stand to prevent the recurrence of such terrorist operations."
RETALIATION AGAINST ARMY
Later in December, the eastern-based army that controls the city of Benghazi announced the end of a military operation that lasted more than five months in Benghazi to eliminate the "remaining terrorists."
However, the city is now witnessing an escalation of bombings, particularly on mosques.
Mohammed Khoja, a Libyan researcher in militant groups, noted that the terrorists' attacks on mosques are a "natural reaction to their defeat in the city by the army."
"The war against terrorism in Benghazi absolutely has repercussions and implications related to revenge, not only by terrorists, but even by those who sympathize with them," Khoja said.
"All the recent attacks, especially of this kind which reveal organized terrorist operations, were unexpected perhaps even by the security services," he added.
Khalifa Dghari, head of the National Sovereignty Assembly of the eastern-based House of Representatives, or parliament, said the increase of the terrorist bombings of mosques is "a challenge to the security and stability of Benghazi."
Dghari called on all security and military forces to "stand together against these despicable gangs ... and impose the maximum legal and deterrent sanctions against them until they are eliminated completely, wherever they are."
Khoja, in addition, warned against sleeping terrorist cells in the city. Calling for attention to the army's previous revealing of collusion of some of the armed forces with terrorists, he said Benghazi should "not neglect any part of evidence that might lead to those involved in such attacks."
In January, the army's General Anti-Terrorism Department revealed a series of investigations with army members involved in terrorist acts, and others who facilitated provision of information to terrorist groups.
Investigations also revealed military involvement in transfer of foreign terrorists to battlefields against the army.
SECURITY VACUUM
Immediately after Friday's attack, the parliament's interim government announced that it will start installing surveillance cameras for 30 mosques in Benghazi and link them to the Joint Security Chamber, which was established to coordinate and strengthen efforts of Benghazi's security bodies.
Turjuman, while expressing confidence in the Chamber because of its disciplined personnel, said he did not think the installation of surveillance cameras would be effective.
"The security department of Benghazi needs material support more than the security departments of other cities (do). In addition, there is the need to force all the security personnel to show up, work, and not be negative, because Benghazi faces a fierce attack after years of vicious and exhausting war against terrorism," Turjuman explained.
He also noted there is a security vacuum in the city which might lead to the continued targeting of Benghazi.
"Frankly, the interim government does not have serious and effective tools to deal with the security file, because the imbalance was caused by absence of an interior minister, a matter interfered by politicians in order to impede a particular figure," he said.
Turjuman warned against the possibility of the situation of shifting from targeting mosques to targeting schools and other government institutions instead, "even though the terrorists know how difficult it is to target them (government institutions) due to the heavy surveillance."