Eastern Libya is still reeling from the explosion in Benghazi on 10 August that killed the LAAF’s head of Military Intelligence, Fawzi al-Mansouri. This was a targeted attack: al-Mansouri was killed when an explosive device attached to his car detonated as he was leaving a local mosque at night. A few hours earlier, al-Mansouri had been at celebrations to mark the 86th anniversary of the founding of the Libyan army, which were presided over by Khalifa Haftar.

As yet, no one has claimed responsibility for the killing. The LAAF issued a statement describing al-Mansouri’s assassination as ‘a vile and cowardly act carried out by a sinister hand’, while LAAF Chief-of-Staff Khalid Haftar noted that all the indicators point to ‘a despicable terrorist tactic’.

Indeed, this attack has alarmed the LAAF. Not only has it punctured the stability that the east has enjoyed in recent years, it is also worryingly reminiscent of the kinds of attacks carried out by militant groups in Benghazi after the 2011 revolution. After the collapse of the former regime, Benghazi fell into the hands of competing militias, including various groups of a militant Islamist orientation. At this time, these hardline Islamist forces conducted a campaign of attacks and assassinations against former and serving military and security personnel, many of them car bombings of the kind that killed al-Mansouri.

After Haftar’s Operation Dignity campaign succeeded in defeating these groups in 2017, there were still a number of attacks in Benghazi, such as the twin car bombs that exploded outside a mosque in January 2018, the car bomb that exploded near the Tibetsi Hotel in May 2018 and the car bomb that targeted a UN convoy in August 2019.

However, since then, the city has been almost free from attacks of this kind, enabling Khalifa Haftar to portray the east as a beacon of calm, stability and prosperity, especially in comparison with the west of the country, which continues to suffer violence and inter-militia fighting.

…with fears of sleeper cells

This attack has prompted fears that the ghost of the past is returning and that, in spite of all the security measures in place, terrorist cells may be operating in Benghazi. It has certainly raised questions over whether the LAAF is capable of providing security, including for its most senior officers.

Al-Mansouri was a key figure in the LAAF. Born in Tarhouna and a member of the al-Obaidat tribe, he joined Khalifa Haftar early in his Operation Dignity campaign, becoming commander of the Ajdabiya Operations Chamber. When the LAAF launched its attack on the capital in April 2019, al-Mansouri led LAAF forces in Ain Zara and Wadi Rabia. In 2021, he was appointed commander of the Sebha Military Zone, where he was in charge of key security files, including cross-border smuggling. He was made chief of Military Intelligence in May 2024.

As such, his assassination represented a significant security breach for the LAAF, demonstrating that the force is still vulnerable and that the threat of terrorism has not disappeared. It has also stoked fears that this assassination could be the start of a new campaign targeting LAAF personnel.

Khalifa Haftar responded by issuing urgent instructions for security to be increased, especially around critical headquarters and at the homes of senior officers. The LAAF is also likely to clamp down even more heavily than usual on any suspicious activity it detects.

On 12 August, the LAAF announced that it had carried out a security operation that led to the arrest of a terrorist cell comprising foreigners in Benghazi. The LAAF claimed the cell was planning to carry out attacks to destabilise the city. No further details are available.

However, this incident demonstrates that while the east is more secure than other parts of Libya, serious security breaches are still possible.

The August 2026 issue of Libya Focus also includes the following:

Implications

Politics

• CBL Governor resigns…
• HCS re-elects Takala…
• Protests grip western Libya…

Security

• Military Intelligence chief is assassinated in Benghazi…
• Zawiya refinery comes under attack…

Energy & Economy

• NOC budget instalment approved
• Libya and Egypt plan to deepen energy co-operation via oil pipeline…