US envoy killed in Benghazi

The American ambassador to Libya, J Christopher Stevens, and three officials were killed when a mob attacked the US consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi, the Interior Ministry said yesterday.

"The ambassador was killed along with three other officials," Interior Deputy Minister Wanis al-Sharif said. Stevens' death in Tuesday's attack was confirmed in a tweet by Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagur.

Stevens, a career officer with the US foreign service, had been in the country for less than four months after taking up his post in the capital Tripoli in May.

Fawzi Wanis, who heads the High Security Commission in Benghazi, confirmed that Stevens was at the consulate when it was attacked. The ambassador was killed when an armed mob protesting against a film deemed offensive to Islam attacked the US mission, just hours after Islamists also stormed Washington's embassy in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

AFP