US arrests suspect in 2012 Benghazi consulate attack, Bondi says
Zubayar al-Bakoush has been extradited to the US to face murder, arson and terrorism-related charges for the 2012 incident
The US has arrested a person suspected of playing a central role in the 2012 attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday.
Bondi said Zubayar al-Bakoush has been extradited to the United States and will face murder, arson and terrorism-related charges.
Four US personnel were killed in the September 11, 2012, incident, which was initially thought to be a spontaneous reaction to protests but was later identified as a deliberate attack carried out by extremists, some of whom were linked to groups affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Al-Bakoush is the third person to face criminal charges stemming from the attack.
Two others, Ahmed Abu Khatallah and Mustafa al-Imam, are serving lengthy prison terms, while another suspect, Ali Awni al-Harzi, was killed in an air strike in Iraq in 2015.
Bakoush faces an eight-count indictment that includes charges of murder, attempted murder, arson and conspiracy to support terrorists, said Jeanine Pirro, the top US prosecutor in the District of Columbia.