Two Egyptians killed in Libya by heavy clashes

Two Egyptian nationals have been killed in Libya on Monday, during clashes between rival factions present in the country.

Clashes erupted between military forces aligned with the internationally recognised government in Tobruk and militias of Libya Dawn, the Islamist coalition holding sway in Tripoli.

The clashes took place in the area of Ra’as Gadir on the border between Libya and Tunisia.

Alaa Hadoura, the spokesperson for Egyptian expats in Libya, told MENA that the deceased were Mohamed Alsayed, 36, and Wael Gamal Hasouba, 27, both from the Daqhaleya governorate. He added that their bodies were transferred to the general Zawara Hospital.

A further four Egyptians were injured, with all suffered bullet injuries, according to Hadoura. One of them was hit by 4 bullets and is in critical conditions.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry warned its citizens currently based in Libya to take furthest safety precautions, and stay away from the armed clashes areas as much as possible.

The Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs Amr Moawad issued a warning to Egyptian citizens against travelling to Libya due to the high risk of violence.

Heavy fighting between rival militias has engulfed the eastern port city of Benghazi over the past months, causing hundreds of deaths. Benghazi is now largely under the control of Islamist militias. Two Egyptian workers were killed and four others were injured when a rocket hit a bakery in Benghazi in November.

Libya’s stability and security has been tenuous since the toppling of former president Muammar Gaddafi. Events took a turn for the worse earlier this year and the country is now arguably in a state of civil war, with rival governmental authorities in Tripoli and Tobruk, and fierce fighting occurring daily across the country.