Two soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an attack against a military air base in southern Libya, a military source said Sunday.

Chief of General Staff Yousef al-Mangoush said at a press conference that clashes erupted between gunmen seeking to destabilize the area and government forces stationed at the base.

Some smugglers active in the area are believed to have carried out the attack in revenge for the crackdown by the military on their operations.

Mangoush added that the assailants also tried to sabotage the airport in order to hold back the army's strike against the smugglers.

Two of the wounded are reportedly in a stable condition while the third one has been seriously injured.