TRIPOLI, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Libyan minister survived an assassination attempt by an identified group in the capital Tripoli, the internationally-recognized western-based government said Wednesday.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Unity said in a statement on Facebook that it "strongly condemns" the assassination attempt of Libyan State Minister of Cabinet Affairs Adel Juma, "when his vehicle was fired upon while on the Tripoli highway by an unknown group."

The statement said the minister is in stable medical condition, adding, "The relevant security agencies have immediately initiated intensive investigations to uncover the circumstances of the incident, pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice."

According to local media, an unknown armed group fired on Juma who was passing on the highway in southern Tripoli, and then fled the scene, injuring the minister before he was taken to hospital for treatment.

Since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been struggling with fragmentation. The country is now divided between two main rival administrations: the eastern-based government, backed by the House of Representatives, and the western-based government in Tripoli.

The divide has led to frequent clashes, competing claims of legitimacy, and struggles over controlling resources, including oil. Despite numerous attempts at reconciliation and international mediation, Libya remains politically unstable and divided. Enditem

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