Tripoli, Jun 3 (IANS): Libya's army chief Major General Abdulaslam Jadallah Obeidi Monday survived an assassination attempt in the capital Tripoli, an army spokesperson said.
Obeidi was subjected to heavy fire on a highway near the Tripoli coast. His guards fired back, forcing the attackers to flee, Xinhua quoted the spokesperson as saying.
No one was injured during the crossfire, and the gunmen's identities are still not known.
Obeidi, who was appointed as the chief of staff last July, has recently sided with renegade general Khalifa Haftar, who played a major role in toppling Libya's former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Haftar has led a series of military actions against the country's interim parliament in the name of "purging terrorists" and tried to force the parliament to abandon power.
He claimed that the General National Congress is backing extremists and should be held responsible for prevailing terrorist attacks, kidnappings and assassinations in Libya.
Haftar's maneuvers have been condemned by the parliament as a "coup", but he has gained more allies recently as some political parties, army officials and armed groups showed their support for him.