Egyptian national Gad Abdel-Messih Abdel-Malek was gunned down by unknown assailants in the Libyan city of Benghazi Saturday morning. According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, Abdel-Malek was unloading goods at the beginning of the day when the unknown gunmen opened fire on him and another Egyptian. It is unclear whether or not the second Egyptian was harmed in the attack. It is also unclear whether or not Abdel-Malek was targeted because he was a Christian. The foreign ministry and the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli are following the events as they unfold, demanding a thorough investigation into yet another targeting of Egyptian nationals in Libya. The last murder of an Egyptian in Libya took place on Tuesday. Mohamed Shehata Adel was found in his house with a gunshot wound to the head. Salama Fawzy, another Egyptian national, was shot down while selling vegetables in Benghazi on 2 March. On 23 February, eight Egyptian Copts were abducted by gunmen. One escaped, but the other seven were killed in what Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan called a "terrorist act". Both Al-Azhar and the Coptic church condemned the attack. After Saturday's attack, the Egyptian foreign ministry reiterated their warning to Egyptian nationals living in Libya "to exercise utmost care and caution for their lives and safety". The ministry also urged Egyptians not to travel to the "unstable" country.
