TRIPOLI, Libya: A Libyan security official says gunmen have killed a retired army colonel in a city known for the presence of extremist Islamic militias.

 

The official said gunmen shot and killed the 70-years-old retired officer while he was driving his car Sunday in the volatile city of Derna.

 

The official said Abdel-Latif Amdawi el-Mazeeni might have been targeted because he served under deposed dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.

 

It was the latest assassination of a security official in Libya's east, where a proliferation of weapons and armed gangs after the 2011 civil war continues to threaten security. The country's government, police and military have struggled to bring armed militias under control.