Libyan parliamentary hopeful dies after targeted attack

An education official from a Libyan town near the city of Benghazi has died after being shot multiple times in a targeted attack this week.

According to local sources, unknown gunmen emptied their guns into Salah Al-Qatrani outside his home on Wednesday before fleeing the scene.Al-Qatrani was rushed to hospital in a critical condition but later died of his injuries.

The Abyar Education Office issued a strong condemnation of the killing and announced that classes would be postponed until further notice in protest against the murder.

It is unclear what the motive behind the killing was, but it comes after Al-Qatrani announced his intention to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Many believe that he could have done well in the poll owing to his good reputation compared with his rivals.

Libya has been gripped by lawlessness since the uprising in 2011 which brought down Muammar Gaddafi. Since then, political groups have been vying to be the sole representatives of the Libyan people, but militia groups, tribal alliances and political instability have kept the country in an apparently permanent state of stagnation and violence.

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