Islamist militants occupy US embassy in Libya
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E-mail Xinhua, August 31, 2014
A group of Islamist fighters have stormed the U.S. embassy in Tripoli, as intense fighting is still going on in the capital's suburb, a security source said on Sunday.
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Some militants stand guard at the gate of the US embassy in Tripoli, Libya, on Aug. 31, 2014. A group of Islamist fighters have stormed the U.S. embassy in Tripoli, as intense fighting is still going on in the capital's suburb, a security source said on Sunday.[Xinhua] |
The source said that Libya Dawn militants had broken into the embassy compound and occupied the main building. Some witnesses said they saw militants swimming in the pool in the compound. A commander from the armed group confirmed that their fighters had " secured" the embassy.
The U.S. embassy already evacuated all personnel in late July, as fierce fighting between Islamist armed groups and pro-secular militia have set the capital city ablaze.
U.S. Ambassador to Libya Deborah K. Jones on Sunday tweeted on her social media account that she had seen a video posted on the situation inside the compound and it appeared to be shot in "a residential annex of the U.S. mission but cannot say definitively since not there." Jones is currently staying in Malta.
On Sunday, fierce clashes still continued in western Tripoli as Islamist fighters launched assaults on local militiamen. Although the combat zone has slowly shifted to suburban areas, the security situation in the capital city is still rigorous. Streets are almost empty and shops closed due to fear for armed robberies.
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