{{Gunmen have attacked a military checkpoint south-east of the Libyan capital Tripoli killing 15 soldiers, the authorities say.}}<\/p>\n
A military official said the attack was near Bani Walid, a stronghold in 2011 of supporters of former leader, Muammar Gaddafi.<\/p>\n
Several more soldiers are reported to have been injured.<\/p>\n
It is not clear who carried out the attack, but the government has struggled to control armed groups.<\/p>\n
The official, describing it as an ambush, said the attack took place on a road between Bani Walid city and the town of Tarhouna.<\/p>\n
The troops came under heavy fire from the gunmen who drove vehicles with mounted machine guns, the official said.<\/p>\n
An army captain was quoted as saying five soldiers were wounded in the attack in the Wishtata district.<\/p>\n
The main road to Bani Walid was closed while the incident was investigated.<\/p>\n
The lack of central government control over large swathes of Libya has left room for armed groups linked to clans and Islamist militants to thrive, analysts say.<\/p>\n
Much of the recent violence has been blamed on groups which grew out of the rebel movement behind the overthrow of Col Gaddafi during the 2011 civil war.<\/p>\n
Military officers and other members of the security apparatus are among those to have been targeted in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
The lack of security in Libya has been highlighted this year by clashes in the eastern city of Benghazi as protesters demanded the disbandment of militias.<\/p>\n
Gunmen also surrounded ministries in Tripoli earlier this year demanding the sacking of officials who worked during Gaddafi’s rule.<\/p>\n
aljazeera<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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