US pulls embassy staff from Libya after heavy fighting

The United States has pulled its embassy staff out of Libya after heavy fighting between armed groups in Tripoli.

Security in the Libyan capital has worsened after two weeks of violence.

John Kerry, US Secretary of State, explained: “A lot of the violence is around the embassy and not on the embassy, but nevertheless it presents a very real risk to our personnel, so we are suspending our current diplomatic activities at the embassy – not closing the embassy.”

The US diplomats were driven under heavy military escort to Tunisia.

The clashes also prompted the United Nations and the Turkish Embassy to evacuate their staff.

Three years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s weak government is unable to control militias of former rebels who are battling for political and economic power.