Libya violence: Benghazi district residents urged to leave

Civilians in Benghazi have armed themselves and joined in the fight against Islamist militias

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.

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.
The country is divided between two rival governments, with disparate tribes, militias and political factions fighting for power in the oil-rich country.
On Sunday an army spokesperson asked residents of the al-Sabri district to leave by noon on Monday (10:00 GMT).
Dozens of residents evacuated the city to avoid the fighting, Reuters news agency reported.
However, many residents have nowhere to go or are too afraid to cross to another area for fear of getting caught in the crossfire, the BBC's Rana Jawad reports from the capital Tripoli.
On Monday afternoon, there were reports of clashes between the army and Islamist groups near Benghazi's seaport, with a navy ship hit amid the fighting, Reuters reported, citing local residents.

Pro-government forces have been battling Islamist militias in Benghazi for weeks

Residents in Benghazi told the BBC many homes had been destroyed from the violence in recent weeks.
Though pro-government forces now control several districts in the east and south of the city, the battle for Benghazi is not over yet, our correspondent says.
Political crisis The internationally-recognised 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 took control of the capital in July.
Islamist groups including Ansar al-Sharia, which is listed by Western countries including the US as a terrorist organisation, have declared a caliphate in the coastal city of Derna.

Libya has been deeply divided since the ousting of Colonel Gaddafi

The elected government has lost Libya's three main cities amid the political crisis:

• In Tripoli, some members of the old parliament - the General National Congress - have continued to sit. They have appointed their own rival government, though this is not internationally recognised

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

• Misrata, the third city and a major business port, is also loyal to the Tripoli authorities.