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New Libya PM's home attacked with rockets

Attack on Libyan PM comes as parliament passes vote of confidence in Miitig and his new cabinet
Libyan Prime Minister Ahmed Miitig holds a press conference in Tripoli on May 21, 2014 (AA)

Armed men attacked the home of new Libyan Prime Minister Ahmed Miitig in the capital Tripoli early Tuesday, an aide said.

"There was an attack with rockets and small arms on the prime minister's house," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Miitig and his family were in the house at the time of the 3:00 am (0100 GMT) attack, but escaped unharmed.

The premier's guards opened fire on the attackers, wounding two of them and arresting them, the official added.

The interim parliament passed a vote of confidence on Sunday in Miitig and his new cabinet, amid rising lawlessness in the North African nation dogged by power struggles between rival former-rebel militias.

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Libya has been awash with weapons since the NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Gaddafi in 2011.

Successive governments have struggled to control the myriad of ex-rebel militias that have carved out fiefdoms across the country.

Judicial body makes bid to solve Libya crisis

Meanwhile, Libya's Supreme Judicial Council on Monday unveiled an initiative aimed at resolving the ongoing crisis in the North African country.

Addressing a press conference in Tripoli, council chief Ali Hafiza said that Libya's judicial authorities "maintain their distance from the country's political disputes."

"But the situation requires us to try to close the gaps [between rival parties]," he said.

Fears have recently mounted that Libya was slipping towards civil war after forces loyal to renegade army general Khalifa Haftar declared war on militia groups serving as part of Libya's regular army.

While Hafter says his campaign aims to purge Libya of "extremists," the Libyan government has described the move as a "coup."

Haftar has called on the Supreme Judicial Council to form a transitional government in advance of fresh parliamentary polls.

Forty members of Libya's parliament announced late Sunday their support to Haftar, even though he argues that the parliament's mandate must be assigned to another constitution-writing body.

In a televised statement read out by MP Abu Bakr al-Rajbani, the lawmakers said they no longer support Premier-elect Ahmed Maiteeq.

The Libyan parliament has a total of 182 members.

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