TRIPOLI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A suicide car bomb targeted the headquarters of Libya's 444th Combat Brigade in Bani Walid, about 170 km southeast of the capital Tripoli, the brigade said Tuesday.

In an official statement posted on its Facebook page, the brigade said a suicide attacker detonated himself inside the vehicle in front of the headquarters.

The statement, accompanied by photos showing the aftermath of the attack, said the situation is under control and that the headquarters continues to perform its duties.

The 444th Combat Brigade is one of the military units affiliated with the Libyan army in the western region, under the authority of the UN-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) based in Tripoli.

Libya has remained divided since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country is split between rival administrations: the GNU in Tripoli and an eastern-based government backed by the Libyan National Army under commander Khalifa Haftar. ■