US evacuates embassy staff from Libya over security issues
The United States has temporarily evacuated its staff from the Libyan embassy in Tripoli as fighting between rival militias intensified.
"Due to the ongoing violence resulting from clashes between Libyan militias in the immediate vicinity of the US Embassy in Tripoli, we have temporarily relocated all of our personnel out of Libya," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said, reports the Associated Press.
The embassy in Tripoli was operating under skeletal staff. The personnel were escorted to Tunisia. The US military "assisted in the relocation" of embassy staff, using F-16 and MV-22 Osprey aircraft, reports the BBC.
It was a five-hour operation "conducted without incident". Secretary of State John Kerry said there was a "real risk" to staff, according to the BBC.
The State Department has issued a travel advisory for the U.S. citizens against travelling to Libya and have warned citizens already there to leave the country. "The Libyan government has not been able to adequately build its military and police forces and improve security," it said, reports the Associated Press. "Many military-grade weapons remain in the hands of private individuals, including antiaircraft weapons that may be used against civilian aviation."
Libya has been facing constant strife since 2011. The Libyan government has increasingly lost control and large parts of the country have been overrun by powerful militias.
The evacuation is a precautionary measure on the American administration's part to avoid the 2012 tragedy, which saw a deadly attack on the US mission in Bengazhi.
