Benghazi - A large car bomb was found on Monday outside an upscale Benghazi hotel used by Western diplomats and Libyan rebel politicians, security officials told reporters.
They said a pick-up truck laden with between 30kg and 40kg of plastic explosives was discovered in the car park of the Tibesti Hotel near the centre of the rebel capital.
Sources said it may have been parked there for weeks.
The discovery is certain to fuel fears about a pro-Muammar Gaddafi cell operating in the rebel capital as Libya's war approaches the five-month mark.
The hotel is home to many European diplomats and is frequented by members of the National Transitional Council (NTC) as well as journalists. It was the site of a previous explosion in June.
The device, seen by AFP, was packed under a bench seat in the truck. Around 20 half-kilogram packets of Semtex explosive were also found under the wheel arches and the underside of the doors.
The device was fitted with a cellphone trigger stashed behind a panel in the front seat of the car, but the phone appeared to have been turned off.
It is not clear whether the detonating device had been intentionally disabled.
The vehicle had aroused suspicions before being investigated by a sniffer dog and explosives experts.
Security officials said the explosives used and the design of the device pointed to Gaddafi’s forces.
They added that as many as five other explosive devices had been found around the city since the war began, including one targeting a senior NTC official. - Sapa-AFP