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| The hotel is popular with foreign diplomats and government officials |
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| Gunmen opened fire on Corinthia Hotel, and a car bomb exploded near the premises |
Gunmen who attacked the luxurious Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, on Tuesday have killed at least two Libyan security personnel and injured three others, a security spokesman said.
Three gunmen are still holed up in the hotel, Essam al-Naas, the spokesman for the joint security operations room for Tripoli, told CNN.
An online group that supports ISIS said online that the attack was carried out in the name of Abu Anas al-Libi.
Al Libi was an alleged al Qaeda operative accused of involvement in the bombing of U.S. embassies in Africa, who was captured by U.S. special forces in Libya. He died in a U.S. hospital earlier this month.
Tuesday's attack began when militants detonated a car bomb in the parking lot of the hotel.Guests have been evacuated to safety, but it's not clear if there are additional casualties.
The five-star hotel is popular among government officials, some of whom reside there.
"We're watching the situation very closely," a spokesman for the Corinthia Group in Malta told CNN.
A witness to the events told CNN that all roads leading to the Corinthia Hotel have been sealed off by security forces.
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| Security forces and emergency services have surrounded the hotel |
People have been warned to stay away from what's described as an ongoing situation, the witness said, adding that there had been exchanges of gunfire.
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