TRIPOLI, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Monday expressed concern about clashes in the eastern city of Benghazi and reports of civilian casualties and the continued disruption of communications.

"We remind all parties of their obligations to protect civilians," UNSMIL noted in a statement expressing its concern.

UNSMIL called on the eastern-based authorities to urgently restore telecommunications in Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, as they have been cut since the fighting began on Friday.

"It is a human right to seek and share information, and access to communications is a vital lifeline for civilians trapped by conflict," the statement said.

According to local media, clashes erupted in Benghazi on Friday evening over a tribal dispute following the arrest of the former Defense Minister Al-Mahdi Al-Barghathi.

All communications in the city remain disrupted since the start of the clashes, while the reports of casualties are still unclear.

Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah, the Prime Minister, demanded the eastern-based authorities to reveal the details of what happened in Benghazi, and called for a comprehensive judiciary probe into the clashes. Enditem

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