US President Barack Obama on Wednesday strongly condemned the killing of the US envoy to Libya and three other embassy staff, calling it an "outrageous attack" in a statement.
The president ordered stepped-up security at US diplomatic posts worldwide amid protests that also erupted in Egypt, Sudan, Tunis and Morocco, angered by a US-made movie that was seen as insulting the Prophet Mohammed.
"Make no mistake, we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people," Obama said in the statement.
"I have directed my administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe," Obama said.
The US is dispatching a Marine fleet anti-terrorist security team to boost security in Libya, Reuters reported, citing an anonymous US official. No further details were immediately available.
Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other US diplomats were killed as they rushed away from a consulate building in Benghazi, stormed by Al Qaeda-linked gunmen.
Stevens, a veteran diplomat, was one of the first US officials on the ground in Benghazi during the uprising against former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi last year.
Sean Smith, a foreign service information management officer, was identified as one of the diplomats killed, in a statement by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The names of the two others were withheld.
Libyan security guards were killed and wounded trying to defend the US ambassador, a Libyan UN envoy said.
"We present our apologies to the United States, the American people and the entire world for what happened," said Libya's General National Congress President Mohammed Maqrif on Wednesday.
The bodies of the dead were transported to the Benghazi international airport, to be flown to Tripoli and then onwards to a major US airbase in Germany, reported The Guardian.
Khalifa Elfaituri, a Benghazi resident who works with an oil company, told the Global Times that "The American-made video that insults the Prophet Mohammed caused widespread fury from almost all Libyans, including the elites."
Yin Gang, a researcher with the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the Global Times that some Libyan extremist groups, previously backed by the US, had played important roles in overthrowing the Gaddafi regime but had failed to clinch power in the post-war era through elections. He said that this meant they were now likely to want to provoke disorder.
Gao Zugui, a researcher with the Institute for International Strategic Studies at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, told the Global Times that "The incident will make the US reconsider the situation in countries in the Middle East such as Syria, which is still wracked by turmoil."
"The US might change its policies toward Libya but the overall strategy ... won't see any major adjustment," said Gao.
The United Nations strongly condemned on Wednesday the attack and said the "horrific and tragic attack" further spotlighted the security challenges facing Libyan authorities.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Wednesday expressed shock at the attack and voiced China's strong condemnation.
Agencies - Global Times