Two Police Stations Bombed in Benghazi as Britain Announces Withdrawal of Some Embassy Staff

Bomb attacks targeted two police stations in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Friday, causing extensive material damage but no casualties, a security official said.

"Unknown individuals threw explosive devices at the police stations in Ras Obeida and Al-Madina," the official told Agence France Presse.

The attacks damaged the police stations and several cars parked nearby, he said.

Benghazi, Libya's second city and cradle of the 2011 uprising that toppled the regime of now slain dictator Moammar Gadhafi, is the scene of frequent attacks and assassinations targeting security officials.

Authorities blame radical Islamists for the violence, including a deadly attack in September against the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and four other Americans.

Also on Friday, Britain announced it was temporarily withdrawing some staff from its embassy in Tripoli due to security concerns over recent political unrest.

"Given the security implications of the ongoing political uncertainty, the British embassy is temporarily withdrawing a small number of staff, mainly those who work in support of government ministries which have been affected by recent developments," a spokesman said.

"The embassy is open as usual, including for consular and visa services."

British ambassador to Libya Michael Aron tweeted that "despite rumors the British embassy in Tripoli is open for business."

But the British Council cultural agency said separately that it was closing its Libya office until next week for the same reason.

"Due to the uncertainty of the situation in Tripoli we will be closing to the public until and including Thursday 16 May 2013," it said in a statement on its Facebook page.

It said it would make up any of the English language classes that students have missed.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning, saying it "strongly advises against all but essential travel to Tripoli and all travel to Benghazi, Bani Walid and southern Libya, including border areas and the regions of Sabha and Kufra."

U.S. authorities took a similar step on Wednesday, saying the security situation in Tripoli had deteriorated as a result of armed groups seizing government buildings in a dispute over a law that would ban officials of the regime of ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi.