PARIS, April 23 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Tuesday denounced the violent assault on French diplomatic mission in Tripoli and expressed Paris firmness to carry out its fight against terrorism.

"This attack could be a slaughter. This attack was made to kill but France will not yield to terrorist menaces," Fabius said in a brief press meeting.

"This attack targets not only France but all the countries that are fighting terrorist groups," he added before heading to Libya.

The French embassy in the Libyan capital was hit by a car bomb early on Tuesday, wounding two French guards and causing heavy damage to the building.

Paris ordered to close French school and its cultural center in Tripoli and reinforced security measures already in place in the region, according to the French top diplomat.

In a separate statement, Fabius said that "in liaison with the Libyan authorities, government departments will make every effort to establish the circumstances of this odious act and rapidly identify the perpetrators."

France has been the target of terrorist groups' attack following its military commitment mainly in Afghanistan and in Mali. A total of 14 French nationals are now in hands of al Qaeda-linked groups in the Sahel region.

The calm in Paris was broken in 1995 with a major bomb in the capital subway that killed eight people and injured 200. 

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