Petraeus reveals that Benghazi attack 'was terror strike'

Former CIA chief Gen David Petraeus has told lawmakers that the deadly assault that targeted the US consulate in Benghazi was a terror attack, and not a spontaneous.

During two appearances on Capitol Hill on Friday, Petraeus defended the earlier deception over the nature of the attack by saying that public explanation had been edited to prevent alerting groups under suspicion.

Petraeus told the committee the CIA was aware the attack was planned by terrorists from an early stage, New York Congressman Peter King said after the first session.

But King said the general's evidence on Friday conflicted with what he said at a hearing on 14 September.

King said he had a "very different recollection" of the earlier hearing, at which lawmakers had been told the attack grew out of spontaneous protests over an anti-Islamic film.

King added that despite Petraeus' testimony on Friday it was still not clear who approved the message that the attack was linked to the protests.

Petraeus told the lawmakers that references to terror groups were removed from the final version of the administration's "talking points" on Benghazi, although he was not sure which federal agency deleted it.

He was giving evidence to the House Intelligence Committee and its Senate counterpart, both in closed sessions.

The testimony comes only one week after Gen Petraeus resigned over an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

During his testimony, Petraeus insisted he left his post at the CIA only because of his extramarital affair with biographer, and not because of the CIA's handling of the attack.

While he was briefly questioned over his personal life at the start of the morning's proceedings, lawmakers accepted his word that his affair had not compromised national security.

Although the hearings were held behind closed doors, committee members gave reporters insight into what happened.

Republicans have criticised the White House over the events in Benghazi, saying the administration misled the public.

US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens was among the four Americans who died in Benghazi on 11 September.