At least 38 people have
been killed in clashes between troops loyal to the Libyan government and
Islamist fighters in the city of Benghazi, officials say. The militants
attacked troops in the centre of the city, in eastern Libya.
A week of fighting in the
capital Tripoli, near the airport, has left 97 people dead and 404 injured.
Later it was reported that
a fuel storage site in the area had been hit by a rocket and fires there could
cause a disaster if not kept under control.
Officials say the site, which
is the city’s largest storage facility and a major hub for distribution of
petrol, contains some 6.6 million litres of fuel
A statement by the prime
minister’s office said the government was asking for international assistance
in putting out the flames.
Officials said an area
within a radius of 3-5km, containing many residential homes, could be affected.
Militias controlling large
parts of the country are behind Libya’s worst violence since the 2011 uprising
that toppled Col Muammar Gaddafi.
On Sunday, France and
Germany joined the US and UK in advising their nationals in Libya to leave
immediately.
On Saturday, the US
evacuated its embassy in Tripoli, citing a “real risk” because of the fighting.
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