Lithuania urges citizens to leave Libya amid fighting

  • 2014-08-01
  • From wire reports, VILNIUS

Clashes in Libya have left 200 people dead in recent weeks (pic: twitter)

Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged its citizens to leave Libya immediately amid fighting in the country.

One Lithuanian citizen was assisted in leaving the country via Madrid, the ministry said. 

A large number of European Union embassies have restricted activities or closed down amid the the crisis.

"The situation in Libya recently has got out of control, armed clashes have broken out throughout the country, communication is restricted," the ministry said in a statement.

Clashes with artillery and rockets spread on Thursday into two Tripoli districts, where rival militia brigades were battling over the airport in Libya's worst fighting since the 2011 revolt that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, Reuters reports. 

Nearly 200 people have been killed since the violence erupted two weeks ago in Tripoli and also in the eastern city of Benghazi, where a coalition of Islamist militants and former rebels has overrun a major army base in the city.

(Edited by Rayyan Sabet-Parry)