At least three guards were killed and two Filipino women injured in a car bombing that targeted the Corinthia Hotel in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Tuesday, according to a security official.
After the attack, three gunmen stormed the hotel, opened fire on security men and holed up in the upper floors of the buidling where diplomatic missions and the state's senior officials stay, Essam Al-Naas, security spokesman, told KUNA.
One gunman was arrested, he said, adding that security forces were surrounding the hotel.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed, through its account on social media, its responsibility for the attack, noting the operation targeted a site including diplomatic missions and security firms.