10 Dead in Tripoli Hotel Attack

At least two gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Libya’s capital Tuesday, killing 10 people before detonating a suicide bomb. Officials said an American, a French citizen, three people from Asia, and five Libyan guards were among those killed in the attack on the Corinthia Hotel, a venue frequented by diplomats and foreign businessmen. A car bomb also exploded in the seaside hotel’s parking lot. After a standoff for several hours, the gunmen threw a grenade on the 24th floor and killed themselves as well as a security guard, according to Essam al-Naas, a spokesman for a Tripoli security agency. The Tripoli affiliate of the Islamic State group said it was behind the attack in Twitter posts and a statement on social media, but there was little evidence to corroborate the claim. The Islamic State of the Tripoli Province posted a video of burned cars in the hotel parking lot and claimed it was in retaliation of the 2013 abduction by American commandos of a Libyan al Qaeda operative. The U.S. State Department confirmed a U.S. citizen was among those killed but did not provide any additional information. However, the CEO of a Virginia security company, Cliff Taylor, identified the American victim as David Berry, a contractor with his company.