By Adam Kuwafi and Seraj Essul.
Benghazi/Tripoli, 8 May 2014:
Derna experienced two bomb attacks today – at the town’s historic Sahaba Mosque . . .[restrict]and at the university’s Fatayeh campus.
The bomb at the mosque, which exploded during Fajr (dawn) prayers targeted one of the many tombs at the complex. There were no casualties although there was damage to buildings.
Islamists are suspected.
It is not the first time that the mosque has been targeted by them. Nearly two years ago, a bomb destroyed the tomb of Zuhayr Ibn Qais Al-Balawi, the seventh century Arab commander who helped bring Islam to the region. It caused massive damage to the mosque but has since been repaired.
It is not clear who was behind the explosion at the Omar Mukhtar University although Islamists are again suspected.
According to a student science student at the university, the homemade bomb went off inside the auditorium. It caused minor damage and no injuries as there was no one present at the time.
There had been demands from Islamists that male and female students be segregated inside the auditorium, he said.
Last month, the Islamist local Abu Saleem Brigade built a wall across the Fatayeh campus to segregate male and female students. It has demanded strict segregation throughout the university.
[/restrict]
