Italy suspended activity at its consulate in Benghazi and withdrew staff for security reasons today after a gun attack on its consul at the weekend which underlined the precarious security situation in the North African state.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Guido De Sanctis's heavily armoured car in Benghazi, Libya's second city, on Saturday. The diplomat was unhurt but the attack was a reminder of the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. mission there that killed the ambassador and three other Americans.

The foreign ministry said "attempts to destabilise" Libya showed that the international community needed to intensify its support for the government in Tripoli.