Libya’s self-declared Prime Minister Omar al-Hassi was inside the Corinthia Hotel meeting a foreign delegation when terrorists struck on Tuesday.

The confirmation came yesterday from the Tripoli government’s representative in Malta, Hussin Musrati, who said Mr al-Hassi was the target of the attack.

Mr Musrati did not identify the foreign delegation but Sky News later reported it was American.

“The Prime Minister and the delegation were escorted safely out of the hotel by security officials as the attack unfolded,” Mr Musrati told a media conference at the embassy in Balzan.

He condemned the terrorist attack, describing it as an affront to Islam and humanity.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told Parliament last night (see story on page 4) that the latest information he had indicated that 14 people had died – four Libyans, an American, a Frenchman, two Filipinos and a South Korean were among the victims.

It is unclear whether this figure includes the terrorists.

“It did not seem that there were any Maltese among the victims,” he said.

He added that 11 Corinthia workers and another 13 Maltese nationals who were at Palm City were taken to a safer place. Thirteen of them returned to Malta on a special flight yesterday.

At the press conference, Mr Musrati said the attack happened when two terrorists blew themselves up when cornered after a five-hour stand-off. A third man, identified through the hotel’s CCTV, was yesterday being questioned by Libyan security forces,

Al-Hassi’s government is not recognised by the international community but it controls most of Libya. The internationally recognised government is based in the eastern city of Tobruk.

Mr Musrati insisted investigations were under way and refrained from blaming the Islamic State (IS or Isis) or the rival faction in Tobruk for the attack.

‘It shows how some still try to instil fear’

“If the terrorists were from Isis it shows how the Salvation Government [the Tripoli-based administration] is against extremism and if this was carried out by forces loyal to General Haftar [allied to Tobruk] or Gaddafi loyalists, it shows how some in Libya still want to instil fear,” Mr Musrati said.

A group known as the Islamic State in Tripoli Province claimed responsibility for the attack.

Two of the attackers were named as Abu Ibrahim al-Tunisi and Abu Suleiman al-Sudani, a Tunisian and Sudanese, respectively. The group even released photos of the two terrorists and warned of more raids.

But Mr Musrati would not confirm the identities and nationalities of the terrorists. He also did not give credence to the Twitter feed purported to belong to the Tripoli-based IS group.

In a joint statement the governments of Malta, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and the US condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the victims and their families.

“We reject such appalling acts of terrorism, which should not be allowed to undermine Libya’s political process,” the statement said.

The seven countries pledged to support the efforts of the UN Special Representative, Bernardino Leon, to bring a political solution to the ongoing crisis in the country.

The extent of the damage to Tripoli’s Corinthia Hotel became more apparent yesterday as security forces swept the building to ensure it was clear of explosives. Photos showed scores of bullet holes on the walls of a corridor and a room where the terrorists were holed up before the siege ended.

Hotel management returned to the building as investigations continued. A decision over whether eight Maltese workers should return home was still being evaluated, a Corinthia spokesman said.

In a company announcement on the Malta Stock Exchange, International Hotel Investments, owners of the Corinthia Tripoli, said there was nothing to suggest that Tuesday’s attack was in any way targeted specifically at the company.

It also vowed to take every measure to safeguard its investment and ensure the hotel continued to operate.

In the European Parliament, Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola yesterday insisted the EU had to put Libya at the forefront of its agenda before the situation deteriorated further.

She urged a more concerted European effort to fight terrorism, not by closing borders but by implementing legislation that responded to new threats.

Who was killed?

Fourteen people were killed in Tuesday’s attack on the Corinthia, with the most notable victim being the American security contractor David Berry.

A former Marine, Mr Berry worked for a highly specialised security firm that operated in high-risk places.

According to his Linked In profile, Mr Berry specialised in anti-terror tactics and worked for numerous security companies after leaving military service in 2012.

He had been stationed in Tripoli since July 2014, the same period that Islamist-leaning militias overran the capital and set up what they called a Salvation Government that is not recognised by the international community.

The FBI opened an investigation into his death.

Meanwhile, the French Embassy in Malta confirmed the Frenchman killed in the attack was a pilot who worked with a Libyan company. His co-pilot, a South Korean, was also killed. Three of the four Libyans who died were security officers.

Two of the terrorists died after blowing themselves up when they were cornered in one of the hotel towers where they had taken hostages.

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com