MOSCOW, July 27 (RIA Novosti) At least 59 people died in clashes between the Libyan government forces and Islamist militants in Benghazi and Tripoli, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing local security and healthcare sources.
According to the agency, the clashes began in two cities almost simultaneously and continued through the entire night. Preliminary estimates show that at least 36 people were killed by militants in Benghazi with the majority of the victims being civilians. In Tripoli 23 people, including Egyptian workers, died when a house collapsed hit by a mortar round.
Earlier on Saturday, the United States announced a temporary shutdown of the American embassy in Libya and evacuation of the staff to the neighboring Tunisia due to the ongoing military activity. The US State Department also warned their citizens to refrain from travelling to Libya.
The Foreign Ministry of the Philippines had also declared urgent evacuation of 13,000 of their citizens due to the "extremely unstable political situation" in Libya.
Escalation of violence in Libya began back in 2011, following the overthrow of country's long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi. A large number of armed groups continue operating in the country. In some regions, the weapon supplies and fighting capabilities of the militants substantially exceed the resources of the local police.
