TRIPOLI, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Tuesday urged the Libyan rival parties to adhere to the cease-fire announced recently in the south of the capital Tripoli.

"For the sake of the civilian population in Tripoli, the hundreds of thousands who fled their homes and 116,000 children who are unable to go to their classes, UNSMIL urges the parties to continue to adhere to the announced cease-fire," UNSMIL said.

UNSMIL also called on the parties to "give the ongoing diplomatic efforts an opportunity to yield a more permanent cessation of hostilities and return to the political process."

The eastern-based army has been leading a military campaign since early April in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the rival UN-backed government.

The armed conflict killed and injured thousands of people, and forced more than 120,000 civilians to flee their homes.

Both parties accepted a cease-fire starting from Jan. 12, which was called for by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Moscow hosted an intra-Libyan talks, sponsored by Russia and Turkey, but with no cease-fire agreement being signed on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

Lavrov said the head of the UN-backed government Fayez Serraj and foreign minister Mohamed Siala signed the draft, but Khalifa Haftar, commander of the eastern-based army, asked for an extra day and left Moscow without signing it.

Libya has been suffering escalating violence and political instability, ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Enditem

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