Forces battling for control of Libya's capital agreed to a truce Saturday, on the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha, but a car bomb killed three UN staff in the eastern city of Benghazi. Military strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces announced that they would implement a ceasefire, after the unity government conditionally accepted the truce for the three-day holiday which starts Sunday.

Haftar's spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari on Saturday announced the truce had gone into effect at 3:00 PM on Saturday and would last until the same time on Monday afternoon. Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) has been fighting since early April to seize Tripoli from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord.

The LNA had said late Friday it was keen to "ease the suffering of the citizens and allow rescue workers to accomplish their mission" and would accept "a humanitarian truce for Eid al-Adha." But it listed several conditions, saying the ceasefire must be observed "in all combat zones, with a cessation of direct and indirect fire and movement of troops."

It added that the truce must include "a ban on flights and reconnaissance overflights" across the country's entire airspace.

The LNA also called on the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to "ensure the implementation of the truce and note any breaches." Haftar's spokesman said the ceasefire was "out of respect for this occasion's place in our spirits... so that Libyan citizens can celebrate this Eid in peace."

Benghazi bomb

But in Haftar-controlled Benghazi, a car bombing killed three UN staff and injured three more. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack "in the strongest terms" and called on the Libyan authorities "to spare no effort in identifying and swiftly bringing to justice the perpetrators of this attack." He also urged all parties to "respect the humanitarian truce... and return to the negotiating table."

Previously, a security official had said that eight other people were injured, including a child. Thick black smoke rose from the area and firefighters rushed to put out the flames that gutted two cars, including a white vehicle like those used by the UN. No side had claimed responsibility for the blast.

Benghazi, the cradle of the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed Muammar Kadhafi, has seen repeated attacks both before and since. One attack on the US consulate on September 11, 2012, killed US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. A May 2018 attack left seven people dead. A Libyan lawmaker is also feared to have been abducted by an armed group in the eastern city, the UN and lawmakers said in July.

Over the past four months, 1,093 people have been killed in the fighting and 5,752 wounded, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), while more than 120,000 people have been displaced.

(With input from AFP)