WASHINGTON — The Justice Department will not seek the death penalty against Ahmed Abu Khattala, the suspected Libyan militant charged in the Benghazi attacks that killed a US ambassador and three other Americans, officials said Tuesday.

The department revealed its decision, which pushes the case forward toward trial, in a brief court filing that offered no additional explanation.

In a separate statement, spokeswoman Emily Pierce said Attorney General Loretta Lynch made the decision after reviewing the case and consulting with federal prosecutors. She said the department is ‘‘committed to ensuring that the defendant is held accountable’’ for the 2012 attacks.

Abu Khattala’s attorneys, who have challenged the strength of the government’s evidence, had implored the Justice Department to remove the death penalty as a possibility should he ultimately be convicted of any capital crimes at trial. With that punishment now off the table, he would face a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty.

Abu Khattala, captured by US special forces in Libya two years ago and brought to the United States aboard a Navy ship, has been awaiting trial in federal court in Washington in connection with the September 2012 violence at a diplomatic compound in Benghazi. Prosecutors have described him as a ringleader of the attacks, which quickly emerged as a political flashpoint and became the topic of congressional hearings.

Associated Press