Isis: Islamic State Libyan offshoot claims Misrata killing of Tripoli intelligence officer

The Islamic State (Isis) Libyan offshoot has claimed responsibility for a bombing that killed a senior intelligence official with forces loyal to the Tripoli government.

Colonel Taher Allush died in an explosion that engulfed his car as he was leaving a mosque in the coastal city of Misrata, with local media reporting the vehicle had been booby-trapped.

Allush, the second in command for military intelligence in the city, Libya's third largest, was part of Libya Dawn, an umbrella militia group, which took over Tripoli in August 2014, ousting the internationally recognised government from the capital and installing a rival administration.

IS militants said it was responsible for the attack, in which another six people were injured.

The jihadi group has suffered some recent setbacks after losing the eastern city of Derna and has been consolidating its presence around Sirte.

Earlier in July, it posted pictures of fighters raising IS's black flag over the city port.

Meanwhile, fighting between forces loyal to the ousted government now headquartered in Tobruk and Islamist militants in Benghazi killed at least 18 people.

Libya has been embroiled in fighting since the overthrow of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.