TRIPOLI, Libya – Gunman attacked a luxury hotel in Libya's capital Tuesday, killing at least 8 people including one American, in Libya's worst terrorist attack since Benghazi.

The Maltese-owned hotel Corinthia was attacked by four of five gunmen in the early morning, who witnesses say began indiscriminately shooting at civilians and hotel staff while shouting “God is great.”

Authorities say that at least five of the confirmed eight dead where foreigners, and the United States State Department  confirmed that one American, David Berry, a former marine and private security contractor was killed in the attack, making it the deadliest attack against Westerners since the infamous Benghazi attack of 2012 which left Ambassador J. Christopher Stephens dead.

 Men wearing black police uniforms, loyal to one of the two factions still battling for control in Libya responded to the attack, killing at least two of the fighters and either capturing or killing the rest. During the fighting a car is reported to have exploded in the hotel parking lot, but it is unclear whether it was deliberate or a result of the fighting.

 A group calling themselves the Tripoli Province of the Islamic State, a group who has pledged loyalty to ISIS, claimed responsibility on social media in the very first minutes of the attack. The group claimed that the attack was a response to American Special Forces abducting several high-ranking Al-Qaeda operatives last year.

 The group claimed in the statement that the attack had been carried out by the “heroes of the caliphate.” And later posted pictures of two of the gunman it said had been killed in the attack.

 This attack is the most recent in what has been a spur of terror attacks against Western targets in Libya in recent months, largely by groups claiming to have connections to ISIS, and is furthering fears that the country could spiral into more violence and chaos, as opposed to the stability the war torn nation desperately needs to become politically and economically viable again, as well as return basic services to large parts of the country.