The United Nations on Saturday condemned a fresh outbreak of violence in Libya, just as rival factions prepare to resume talks on forming a government to halt the country's conflict.
Pro-government forces clashed Friday and Saturday with fighters from the Islamist-backed Fajr Libya militia alliance in Aziziya, a town 35 kilometers west of Tripoli.
Fajr Libya seized Tripoli in August and installed a government and a parliament opposed to the elected legislature and the country's internationally-recognized government, both of which have taken refuge in the country's far east.
Loyalist forces first launched an offensive in March to try to recapture Tripoli, clashing with Fajr Libya militiamen in Aziziya. Earlier this month, four people died in another confrontation.
"We are battling tribal forces (linked to the government) and preventing them from advancing," a Fajr Libya commander told AFP.
And on Friday, 10 soldiers were killed and 40 others wounded in fighting with armed groups in the eastern city of Benghazi, medical and military sources said.
The U.N. mission in Libya (UNSMIL), in a statement, called for "an immediate cessation of hostilities" which it said come "at a time when significant progress in being made" in peace efforts.
Talks are due to resume on Monday in Algiers and focus on the formation of a government of national unity as well as security issues.
UNSMIL voiced concern over Aziziya, "a region whose towns have witnessed considerable destruction as a result of intermittent battles".
Many of its residents "have been displaced, abducted and tortured, and they are in dire need of humanitarian aid," it said.
Libya has been gripped by chaos and violence since its 2011 revolution that toppled veteran dictator Muammar Qaddafi, with rival factions battling for control of its cities and oil wealth.

Violence flares in Libya ahead of U.N.-backed peace talks

Members of Libyan pro-government forces walk with weapons during clashes in the streets with the Shoura Council of Libyan Revolutionaries, in Benghazi April 1, 2015. (Reuters)
AFP, Benghazi
Sunday 12 April 2015
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:45 - GMT 06:45
DAY | WEEK |
-
4679 Views COVID-19 vaccine might be needed every year: UAE health spokesperson
-
3467 Views US Senate Republicans unite behind failed efforts to halt Trump impeachment trial
-
2014 Views Lebanese workers thrust into poverty, depression amid COVID-19 lockdown
-
971 Views Coronavirus: Dubai changes travel protocols for inbound passengers from Jan. 31
-
220 Views Indian farmers back at protest camp, tensions rise amid Republic Day aftermath
-
107 Views Nationwide terrorism alert issued in US after potential threat from anti-Biden groups
-
24556 Views Coronavirus: Dubai temporarily postpones Pfizer vaccine campaign amid global shortage
-
19961 Views Saudi Arabia’s PIF to invest 3 trillion riyals over next 10 years: Crown Prince
-
18207 Views Loud explosion heard in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh
-
10930 Views Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issues several new royal decrees
-
9951 Views Full moon to align directly above Kaaba in Mecca on Jan. 28
-
8761 Views Coronavirus: Dubai restaurants offer discounts for vaccinated diners
SHOW MORE