The blast completely destroyed the embassy's reception area and parts of neighbouring homes, the BBC's Rana Jaward reports from the scene.

 

One official told Reuters news agency: "We think it was a booby-trapped car."

 

An investigation¹ is under way into what French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called an "odious²（可憎的） act".

 

He said French officials were working with the Libyan authorities to identify those responsible.

 

The explosion happened shortly after 07:00 (05:00 GMT) in a smart, residential³ area of Tripoli.

 

The blast took place in a small side street, causing extensive damage to the buildings and parked cars, our correspondent said.

 

She said neighbours were upset and shaken up by the attack, and told her they no longer wanted to live beside an embassy.

 

Diplomatic missions in Libya have been attacked in the past, the most notable being the US consulate⁴ in the eastern city of Benghazi in September 2012 that led to the death of its ambassador Christopher Stevens and three Americans.

 

But this is the first major attack on a foreign embassy in the Libyan capital, observers say.

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