Libyan army asks Benghazi residents to leave

PanARMENIAN.Net - Libya's army has asked residents in a central district of the port city of Benghazi to leave before a major military operation against Islamists, according to BBC News.

More than 200 people have been killed in Benghazi since the army began a new offensive to retake the city from Islamist militias last month. The campaign is led by former general Khalifa Haftar who is also reportedly backed by the army.

Libya has been in a state of flux since Colonel Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011.

On Sunday, Nov 2, an army spokesperson asked residents of the al-Sabiri district to leave by noon on Monday (10:00 GMT).

Libya is divided between two rival governments, and disparate rebel tribes, militias and political factions are fighting for power over the oil-rich country.

The internationally-recognized and newly-elected government has been forced to flee to the far-eastern city of Tobruk close to the Egyptian border, having been ousted from Tripoli after hostile militias attacked the capital in July.

Islamist groups including Ansar al-Sharia, which is listed by Western countries including the U.S. as a terrorist organization, have declared a caliphate in the coastal city of Derna.

Across Libya, the exiled government has lost the three main cities as the political crisis ensues:

In Tripoli, the old parliament - the General National Congress - has continued to sit. It has even appointed its own rival government.

Benghazi, the second city and headquarters of the 2011 Revolution, is largely in the hands of Islamist fighters, some with links to al-Qaeda. There are daily assassinations of officials, journalists and social activists.

Misrata, the third city and main port, is also loyal to the Tripoli authorities. Its militias keep them in power.