US citizens in Libya told to 'depart immediately'

The US State Department recommended that American citizens in Libya "depart immediately", in its latest travel warning issued on Tuesday evening.

The warning comes as a result of the worsening security in Libya, described by the State Department as “unpredictable and unstable”.

"Due to security concerns, the Department of State has limited staffing at its Tripoli Embassy and is only able to offer very limited emergency services to US citizens in Libya," the travel warning said.

"US citizens currently in Libya should exercise extreme caution," it said.

The pull-out comes amid ongoing domestic controversy in Washington over a September 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi in which four Americans, including ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed.

Earlier on Tuesday, the United States announced that it is deploying an amphibious assault ship with about 1,000 marines off the coast of Libya.

The USS Bataan will be in the area "in a matter of days", said a defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that it was a "precautionary" measure.

In addition to the 1,000 marines, the Bataan is equipped with several helicopters.

The United States also has  250 marines available, seven tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft and three refuelling aircraft in Sigonella, Italy.

Attacks in Tripoli and Benghazi

In separate events, gunmen attacked the Tripoli home of Libya's new Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq on Tuesday night, while in the eastern city of Benghazi militants are reportedly surrounding the local security governorate.

An aide to Maiteeq said "there was an attack with rockets and small arms on the Prime Minister's house" in Tripoli at 3:00 am local time (0100 GMT).

The premier and his family were in the house at the time but escaped unharmed, according to AFP.

His guards opened fire on the group, wounding and arresting two of them, the official added.

Maiteeq, a businessman prior to his political career, was sworn in as Prime Minister on 5 May after a vote by the General National Council (GNC).

He was brought in to replace Abdullah al-Thani, who resigned in April after reporting that he and his family had been attacked.

On Sunday the Prime Minister won a vote of confidence in Libya’s parliament, in a poll called after a quarter of MPs pledged support for Haftar’s military operations and called for the mandate of Maiteeq’s government to be revoked.

In Benghazi on Tuesday, three people suspected of belonging to the militant group Ansar al-Sharia were arrested while driving through the town in a car filled with weapons and ammunition, reports Libyan daily al-Wasat.

The site also reports that two shells fell on the troubled town on Tuesday, without causing any casualties.

Last Thursday saw 20 civilians injured by a shell that hit a central area of Benghazi, a few kilometres from an army base, according to al-Arabiyya.

Haftar 'a new Gaddafi'

Ansar al-Sharia, one of the biggest militia groups being targeted by ex-general Haftar, called a press conference on Tuesday to urge Libyans to reject the renegade army man.

The group’s head appeared on the programme Good Morning Libya, broadcast from Doha on satellite channel Libya for the Free.

He accused Haftar of being a "new Gaddafi" and an "agent of American intelligence” whose aim is to “divide” the Libyan people.

He also affirmed his group's determination to continue fighting the "tyrant" general, warning that Haftar would meet the same fate as the country’s ousted former leader, who was killed by rebels in 2011.

In response to the statement, the official spokesman for Haftar’s “Operation Dignity” appeared on the same programme to refute claims of success by Ansar al-Sharia.

“Operation Dignity is ongoing”, said Mohammed al-Hejazi, going on to state that Ansar al-Sharia had suffered “severe” blows during the campaign launched by General Haftar on 16 May.