US arrests suspect in 2012 Benghazi consulate attack, Bondi says

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.