A Libyan affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group claimed responsibility Wednesday for an attack on a Tripoli luxury hotel that killed 10 people, including an American and four Europeans.

The group, calling itself "Islamic State in Tripoli Province," said it launched the attack Tuesday to avenge the death of Abu Anas al-Libi, who was snatched off a Tripoli street by U.S. special forces in 2013 and died in U.S. custody earlier this month due to complications from liver surgery. Al-Libi had been indicted in U.S. federal court over his alleged role in the 1998 al-Qaida bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The group identified the attackers as Abu Ibrahim al-Tunsi and Abu Suleiman al-Sudani, noms de guerre that suggest the attackers were Tunisian and Sudanese. The claim of responsibility was dated Tuesday but first appeared on jihadi forums Wednesday.

"The operation is not the last one on the lands of Tripoli... Let the enemies of God, the crusaders and their allies await what would harm them," the message read.

The affiliate previously claimed responsibility for an attack on the Algerian Embassy that wounded three guards. It also previously posted pictures of fighters touring markets and distributing pamphlets. Wednesday's posting matched previous messages posted on Twitter and social media, but it was not immediately possible to confirm the claim.

Since the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi the country has been awash in armed militias, including several Islamic extremist groups. A group of Islamist militias control Tripoli, and the internationally recognized government convenes in the far east of the vast, oil-rich country.

In addition to the foreigners, five guards were killed in the attack Tuesday on the seaside Corinthia Hotel. Two attackers were killed following an hourslong standoff that included a car bombing.

A senior U.S. State Department official confirmed that an American citizen was among those killed. Cliff Taylor, the CEO of a Virginia security company, Crucible LLC, identified the slain American as David Berry, a contractor with his company.

The online message said that those killed were American, French, South Korean and Filipino. Earlier, Essam al-Naasa, a spokesman for a Tripoli security agency, said the dead included an American, a French citizen and three others from the former Soviet Union.

In comments to The Malta Independent, a spokesman for the Corinthia group said that no structural damages are believed to have been caused to the hotel. "Or course, we have bullet holes in walls and glass windows have been broken, but the overall hotel structure is intact. An investigation will be carried out in the next few days to determine the repair work that needs to be carried out."

Luckily, at the time of the attack the number of people inside the hotel was limited because most had already left after breakfast. Being January, it is also a quiet time for the hotel. The spokesman said that the hotel management is back inside the hotel to take stock of the situation but the guests have been relocated.

Asked what effect would the attack have on Corinthia, the spokesman said that the attack was not on the group or the hotel chain. Libya is a turbulent place to live in at this point in time and other attacks have been carried out in other places in the past few months.

Attack on Corinthia Hotel

 

Official Corinthia statement

In a statement published this afternoon, the Corinthia Group referred to yesterday's attack. "It is not for IHI to speculate on the motives behind the attack, but we have nothing to suggest that this was in any way directly targeted specifically at the Company.

Notwithstanding, the events marked a traumatic and saddening day for all of our colleagues and guests at the Hotel. The loss of life is tragic and we grieve for those who were senselessly killed. Whilst the exact unfolding of events is still being fully established, our priority at all times throughout the attack was to ensure the security of our colleagues and guests.

The Company thanks all those who in any way supported it through such an unprecedented situation, including the authorities in Malta.

The Company is now assessing damage that has been caused to certain areas of the Hotel and is taking every measure to safeguard the Company's investment and commitment to continued operations.

The Company also notifies that its other operations in Malta, and in Europe, are operating as usual."