French embassy in Libya hit by 'car bomb'

An apparent car bomb has exploded outside the French embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, wounding two guards and causing extensive damage.

The explosion happened shortly after 07:00 (05:00 GMT) in a smart, residential area of Tripoli.

The blast knocked down the wall surrounding the property and caused extensive damage to the embassy, neighboring buildings and cars parked nearby.

The French primary and high schools, both located in the same neighbourhood, closed on Tuesday for an indefinite time.

An investigation is under way — French officials were working with the Libyan authorities to identify who carried out the attack and what the motive was.

The attack is believed to be the first major attack on an embassy in the capital Tripoli.