BENGHAZI, Libya — The United States has temporarily withdrawn some of its forces from Libya due to “security conditions on the ground,” a top military official said Sunday as a Libyan commander’s forces advanced toward the capital of Tripoli and clashed with rival militias.

A small contingent of American troops has been in Libya in recent years, helping local forces combat Islamic State and al-Qaida militants, as well as protecting diplomatic facilities.

“The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable,” said Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the head of U.S. Africa Command. “Even with an adjustment of the force, we will continue to remain agile in support of existing U.S. strategy.”

He did not provide details on the number of U.S. troops that have been withdrawn or on how many remain in the country.

India evacuated a small contingent of peacekeepers. The Indian foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, said the country’s 15 Central Reserve Police Force peacekeepers were evacuated Saturday from Tripoli because the “situation in Libya has suddenly worsened” and fighting has moved into the capital city.
• Rival Libyan forces say they have captured Tripoli airport
• Hundreds rescued from slavery in Libya are coming to Canada, immigration minister says

The self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, launched a surprise offensive against the capital last week, a move that could potentially drag the country back into civil war. Libya has been gripped by unrest since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. In recent years, the country has been governed by rival authorities in the east and in Tripoli, in the west, each backed by various armed groups.

Fighting was underway Sunday at the international airport, some 24 kilometres (15 miles) from central Tripoli, after Hifter claimed to have seized the area. The airport was destroyed in a previous bout of militia fighting in 2014. Hifter said his forces had launched airstrikes targeting rival militias on the outskirts of Tripoli.

The rival militias, which are affiliated with a U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, said they had also carried out airstrikes, slowing Hifter’s advance.

At least 35 people, including civilians, have been killed on both sides since Thursday.

The Health Ministry of the Tripoli-based government said in a statement that at least 21 people, including a physician, were killed and at least 27 wounded. Ahmed al-Mesmari, spokesman for Hifter’s forces, said Saturday that 14 troops had been killed since the offensive began.

The fighting has displaced hundreds of people, the U.N. migration agency said. The U.N. mission to Libya called for a two-hour cease-fire on Sunday in parts of Tripoli to evacuate civilians and the wounded.

The LNA is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France and Russia. It answers to the authorities based in eastern Libya, who are at odds with the U.N.-backed government.</s>New Delhi, Apr 07: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that India has evacuated its entire contingent of peacekeeping forces comprising 15 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel from Tripoli after the situation there "suddenly worsened".

Taking to Twitter, Swaraj described the situation,''The situation in Libya has suddenly worsened. There is fighting in Tripoli. Indian Embassy in Tunisia @IndiainTunisia has evacuated the entire contingent of 15 CRPF personnel yesterday itself. I appreciate the excellent work by the Indian Embassy in Tunisia. #Libya.''

She said "Indian Ambassador in Tunisia has the concurrent charge of Libya. CRPF contingent is deployed as the Peacekeeping force in Tripoli."

Sushma Swaraj also put out the phone numbers of the officials that should be contacted by Indians in Tripoli. She tweeted, "All Indians in distress in Tripoli may please contact Mr.Mehtab on +218916320278 or Mr.Mustafa on +218924201771 or +218912146640."

This came after Eastern Libyan Army Commander Khalifa Hafter on Thursday ordered his forces, the Libyan National Army (LNA), to take over Tripoli - the capital of the United Nations-backed government - amid reports of escalating political tension in Libya.

Haftar has since been accused of violating political agreements concluded under the United Nations by Fayez Sarraj, the Prime Minister of the Tripoli-based UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

Even though a deal was signed in 2015 which created the GNA as the legitimate interim Libyan government, it was not wholly implemented due to disagreements with the Tobruk-based parliament.

Stay up to date with our election coverage here</s>(BENGHAZI, Libya) — The United States has temporarily withdrawn some of its forces from Libya due to “security conditions on the ground,” a top military official said Sunday as a Libyan commander’s forces advanced toward the capital of Tripoli and clashed with rival militias.

A small contingent of American troops has been in Libya in recent years, helping local forces combat Islamic State and al-Qaida militants, as well as protecting diplomatic facilities.

“The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable,” said Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the head of U.S. Africa Command. “Even with an adjustment of the force, we will continue to remain agile in support of existing U.S. strategy.”

He did not provide details on the number of U.S. troops that have been withdrawn or how many remain in the country.

Footage circulating online showed two apparent U.S. Navy transport craft maneuvering off a beach in Janzour, east of Tripoli, sending up plumes of spray as American forces were ferried from the shore.

India also evacuated a small contingent of peacekeepers. The Indian foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, said the country’s 15 Central Reserve Police Force peacekeepers were evacuated Saturday from Tripoli because the “situation in Libya has suddenly worsened” and fighting has moved into the capital city.

The self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, launched a surprise offensive against the capital last week, a move that could potentially drag the country back into civil war. Libya has been gripped by unrest since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. In recent years, the country has been governed by rival authorities in the east and in Tripoli, in the west, each backed by various armed groups.

Fayez Sarraj, head of government in Tripoli, accused Hifter of “betraying” him.

“We have extended our hands towards peace, but after the aggression that has taken place on the part of forces belonging to Hifter and his declaration of war against our cities and our capital … he will find nothing but strength and firmness,” al-Sarraj said Saturday in televised comments.

Sarraj and Hifter held talks in Abu Dhabi in late February, their first confirmed meeting since November 2018, when they agreed that national elections were necessary, according to the U.N.

Hifter is seeking to capture the capital and seize military control of the whole country before U.N.-sponsored talks due to start next week that were designed to set a time frame for possible elections in the oil-rich country.

The U.N. envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, said the U.N. is determined to hold the planned conference.

Fighting was underway Sunday at the international airport, some 24 kilometers (15 miles) from central Tripoli, after Hifter claimed to have seized the area. The airport was destroyed in a previous bout of militia fighting in 2014. Hifter said his forces had launched airstrikes targeting rival militias on the outskirts of Tripoli.

The rival militias, which are affiliated with a U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, said they had also carried out airstrikes, slowing Hifter’s advance.

Armed groups behind the U.N.-backed government of national accord, or GNA, have announced an effort to defend Tripoli, vowing to recapture all areas seized by Hifter’s forces.

Col. Mohamed Gnounou, a spokesman for GNA forces, said in televised comments Sunday that the counteroffensive, dubbed “Volcano of Anger,” was aimed at “purging all Libyan cities of aggressor and illegitimate forces.”

The two sides reported that at least 35 people, including civilians, had been killed since Thursday.

The Health Ministry of the Tripoli-based government said in a statement that at least 21 people, including a physician, were killed and at least 27 wounded. Ahmed al-Mesmari, a spokesman for Hifter’s forces, said Saturday that 14 troops had been killed since the offensive began.

The fighting has displaced hundreds of people, the U.N. migration agency said. The U.N. mission to Libya called for a two-hour cease-fire on Sunday in parts of Tripoli to evacuate civilians and the wounded.

The LNA is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France and Russia. It answers to the authorities based in eastern Libya, who are at odds with the U.N.-backed government.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya — The United States has temporarily withdrawn some of its forces from Libya due to "security conditions on the ground," a top military official said Sunday as a Libyan commander's forces advanced toward the capital of Tripoli and clashed with rival militias.

A small contingent of U.S. troops has been in Libya in recent years, helping local forces combat Islamic State and al-Qaida militants, as well as protecting diplomatic facilities.

"The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable," said Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the head of U.S. Africa Command. "Even with an adjustment of the force, we will continue to remain agile in support of existing U.S. strategy."

He did not provide details on the number of U.S. troops that have been withdrawn or how many remain in the country.

Footage circulating online showed two apparent U.S. navy transport craft manoeuvring off a beach in Janzour, east of Tripoli, sending up plumes of spray as U.S. forces were ferried from the shore.

India also moved out a small contingent of peacekeepers. The Indian foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, said the country's 15 Central Reserve Police Force peacekeepers were removed Saturday from Tripoli because the "situation in Libya has suddenly worsened" and fighting has moved into the capital city.

The self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter with control of east Libya, launched a surprise offensive against the capital last week, a move that could potentially drag the country back into civil war. Libya has been gripped by unrest since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. In recent years, the country has been governed by rival authorities in the east and in Tripoli, in the west, each backed by various armed groups.

Fayez Sarraj, head of government in Tripoli, accused Hifter of "betraying" him.

"We have extended our hands toward peace, but after the aggression that has taken place on the part of forces belonging to Hifter and his declaration of war against our cities and our capital ... he will find nothing but strength and firmness," al-Sarraj said Saturday.

Sarraj and Hifter held talks in Abu Dhabi just weeks ago, their first confirmed meeting since November 2018, when they agreed that national elections were necessary, according to the UN.</s>The battle for Tripoli escalated on Sunday as a military assault on the city by the eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar led to 21 deaths and nearly 90 injuries, and international calls for calm were ignored.

As the fighting neared the capital, the UN issued a plea for a temporary ceasefire to allow the wounded to be evacuated. Hours earlier, the US announced it was withdrawing some of its troops from the country, citing deteriorating “security conditions on the ground”. India also withdrew a group of its peacekeepers, saying the situation in Libya had suddenly worsened.

The international airport 15 miles south of central Tripoli was a scene of fierce battles after Haftar claimed to have seized control of the area from the UN-backed government of national accord.

Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army, backed by the United Arab Emirates, is leading a multi-pronged assault on the capital in an attempt to overthrow the Tripoli-based GNA.

The death toll issued by the GNA and confirmed by Tripoli hospitals suggest Haftar’s hopes of an immediate collapse of the GNA’s diverse defences have been dashed. But Haftar appears intent on pressing ahead with a decisive battle that will endanger the chances of a UN-sponsored reconciliation between forces in the east and west of the country.

In a battle already marked by wildly conflicting claims, the LNA said the defences of the Tripoli militia were surrendering, but a spokesman for pro-GNA forces announced a counter-offensive against Haftar’s forces.

The spokesman, Col Mohamed Gnounou, said Operation Volcano of Anger was aimed at “purging all Libyan cities of aggressor and illegitimate forces”, in reference to Haftar’s fighters.

The LNA said it had carried out its first air raid on a Tripoli suburb, defying calls by the international community to halt hostilities. Both sides launched airstrikes over the weekend, with Tripoli residents reporting indiscriminate artillery fire hitting homes across the capital.

In a fast-moving military situation, Haftar’s forces claimed over the weekend to have captured Tripoli’s international airport, in the southern part of the city, but this was denied by the GNA and there was fighting there on Sunday.

Tripoli’s schools were closed for a week and queues formed at petrol stations. The Italian interior minister, Matteo Salvini, said he was concerned for the welfare of Italian employees of oil firms such as ENI.

An air assault was mounted on military vehicles belonging to the GNA presidential council’s Naqlia camp. It is thought Haftar has superior air forces supplied by the UAE.There is also mounting concern in Washington about Russia’s role in Libya, with diplomatic sources recently accusing Moscow of deploying up to 300 mercenaries in eastern Libya to support Haftar.

Speaking before an EU foreign affairs council in Brussels on Monday, the UK foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said he would “work every channel to encourage restraint and avoid bloodshed”, adding there was “no justification for [the] LNA move on Tripoli”.

Calls for sanctions to be taken against Haftar were heard for the first time, including from a former UK ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett. Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign affairs chief, will try to organise a united front at a meeting of the EU foreign affairs council on Monday. Tensions between Rome and Paris over the extent of Emmanuel Macron’s past support for Haftar have been simmering for months.

Q&A What is happening in Libya? Show Hide Libya is on the brink of an all-out civil war that threatens to upend years of diplomatic efforts to reconcile two rival armed political factions. An advance led by Khalifa Haftar, the warlord from the east of the country, has diplomats scrambling and the UN appealing in vain for a truce. The French government, the European power closest to Haftar, insists it had no prior warning of his assault, which is closing in on the capital, Tripoli. The outcome could shape not just the politics of Libya, but also the security of the Mediterranean, and the relevance of democracy across the Middle East and north Africa. For more about the fighting in Libya read our quick guide. Photograph: Hani Amara/X03394

The GNA prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj, who accused Haftar of treachery, has protested to the French ambassador to Libya, Béatrice du Hellen, about the French support for Haftar. On Saturday Macron spoke to António Guterres, the UN secretary general, and the Élysée insisted he was calling for restraint from all sides.

The US evacuation was the first public acknowledgement that the US had forces in Libya. The US Africa Command said: “The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable.”

The US gave no details of the size of the force, or its mission, but said it might be sent back later. In the last three years US special forces have been deployed, along with British and French elite units, to fight Islamic State in Libya. The US has launched more than a dozen sets of airstrikes against Isis in the southern desert.

Footage on social media showed two fast US navy transport craft manoeuvring off a beach in Janzour, in Tripoli’s western suburbs, sending up plumes of spray as American forces were ferried from the shore.

Air tracking websites show continuing US drone activity over Tripoli, and special forces transport planes regularly shuttle between the western city of Misrata and bases in Italy.

Hopes of a truce rest on decisive western pressure being placed on Haftar’s international backers primarily Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to order Haftar to back down. Haftar has been demanding he is made the nation’s military commander freed from political control. Serraj claimed that in a recent round of talks with Haftar he made major concessions on Libya’s future political structure but that Haftar betrayed those agreements.

Sarraj faces a choice between either seeking to defend the capital and waiting for international diplomatic pressure to force Haftar to retreat, or instead launching offensives of his own, thereby escalating the war and possibly losing international backing. Haftar’s hopes that various groups inside Tripoli would defect to him have so far proved misplaced.

UN mediators continue to urge a ceasefire but some think Haftar is unwilling to compromise. “He has never been interested in the policy process. Even when I used to go and see him, he would say: ‘Security comes first, politics will follow,’” said Millett. “His aim is to take Tripoli. I think they [the UN] should impose sanctions. What other tools do the international community have?”

Jonathan Winer, a former US ambassador to Libya, was also scathing about Haftar’s methods, saying on Twitter: “Haftar has built patronage networks over a five-year period now strengthened by foreign financial support and military support. His goal has long been to take [the] country by mixture of conquest and acclamation and to end ‘politics’ and replace that with military rule.”

On Sunday, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo called for an “immediate halt” to Haftar’s offensive. “We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar’s forces,” he said in a statement.

Pompeo stressed that there was “no military solution to the Libya conflict,” and urged all parties to “urgently de-escalate the situation.”

Despite the clashes, Ghassan Salamé, the UN special envoy for Libya, claimed that attempts were still being made to hold the national conference on Libya’s future in Ghadames on 14-16 April.</s>The United States has temporarily withdrawn some of its forces from Libya due to 'security conditions on the ground,' a top military official said Sunday as a Libyan commander's forces advanced toward the capital of Tripoli and clashed with rival militias.

A small contingent of American troops has been in Libya in recent years, helping local forces combat Islamic State and al-Qaida militants, as well as protecting diplomatic facilities.

'The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable,' said Marine Corps Gen Thomas Waldhauser, the head of US Africa Command.

'Even with an adjustment of the force, we will continue to remain agile in support of existing US strategy.'

He did not provide details on the number of US troops that have been withdrawn or how many remain in the country.

Footage circulating online showed two apparent US Navy transport craft maneuvering off a beach in Janzour, east of Tripoli, sending up plumes of spray as American forces were ferried from the shore.

India also evacuated a small contingent of peacekeepers. The Indian foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, said the country's 15 Central Reserve Police Force peacekeepers were evacuated Saturday from Tripoli because the 'situation in Libya has suddenly worsened' and fighting has moved into the capital city.

The self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, launched a surprise offensive against the capital last week, a move that could potentially drag the country back into civil war.

Libya has been gripped by unrest since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

In recent years, the country has been governed by rival authorities in the east and in Tripoli, in the west, each backed by various armed groups.

Fayez Sarraj, head of government in Tripoli, accused Hifter of 'betraying' him.

'We have extended our hands towards peace, but after the aggression that has taken place on the part of forces belonging to Hifter and his declaration of war against our cities and our capital ... he will find nothing but strength and firmness,' al-Sarraj said Saturday in televised comments.

Sarraj and Hifter held talks in Abu Dhabi in late February, their first confirmed meeting since November 2018, when they agreed that national elections were necessary, according to the UN.

Hifter is seeking to capture the capital and seize military control of the whole country before UN-sponsored talks due to start next week that were designed to set a time frame for possible elections in the oil-rich country.

The UN envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, said the UN is determined to hold the planned conference.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Libyan factions to return to negotiations, saying that 'there is no military solution to the Libya conflict.'

'We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar's forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital,' Pompeo said in a statement.

Fighting was underway Sunday at the international airport, some 24 kilometers (15 miles) from central Tripoli, after Hifter claimed to have seized the area. The airport was destroyed in a previous bout of militia fighting in 2014. Hifter said his forces had launched airstrikes targeting rival militias on the outskirts of Tripoli.

The rival militias, which are affiliated with a UN-backed government in Tripoli, said they had also carried out airstrikes, slowing Hifter's advance.

Armed groups behind the UN-backed government of national accord, or GNA, have announced an effort to defend Tripoli, vowing to recapture all areas seized by Hifter's forces.

Col Mohamed Gnounou, a spokesman for GNA forces, said in televised comments Sunday that the counteroffensive, dubbed 'Volcano of Anger,' was aimed at 'purging all Libyan cities of aggressor and illegitimate forces.'

The two sides reported that at least 35 people, including civilians, had been killed since Thursday.

The Health Ministry of the Tripoli-based government said in a statement that at least 21 people, including a physician, were killed and at least 27 wounded. Ahmed al-Mesmari, a spokesman for Hifter's forces, said Saturday that 14 troops had been killed since the offensive began.

The fighting has displaced hundreds of people, the UN migration agency said. The UN mission to Libya called for a two-hour cease-fire on Sunday in parts of Tripoli to evacuate civilians and the wounded.

The LNA is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France and Russia. It answers to the authorities based in eastern Libya, who are at odds with the UN-backed government.</s>New Delhi, Apr 07: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that India has evacuated its entire contingent of peacekeeping forces comprising 15 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel from Tripoli after the situation there "suddenly worsened".

Taking to Twitter, Swaraj described the situation,''The situation in Libya has suddenly worsened. There is fighting in Tripoli. Indian Embassy in Tunisia @IndiainTunisia has evacuated the entire contingent of 15 CRPF personnel yesterday itself. I appreciate the excellent work by the Indian Embassy in Tunisia. #Libya.''

She said "Indian Ambassador in Tunisia has the concurrent charge of Libya. CRPF contingent is deployed as the Peacekeeping force in Tripoli."

Sushma Swaraj also put out the phone numbers of the officials that should be contacted by Indians in Tripoli. She tweeted, "All Indians in distress in Tripoli may please contact Mr.Mehtab on +218916320278 or Mr.Mustafa on +218924201771 or +218912146640."

This came after Eastern Libyan Army Commander Khalifa Hafter on Thursday ordered his forces, the Libyan National Army (LNA), to take over Tripoli - the capital of the United Nations-backed government - amid reports of escalating political tension in Libya.

Haftar has since been accused of violating political agreements concluded under the United Nations by Fayez Sarraj, the Prime Minister of the Tripoli-based UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

Even though a deal was signed in 2015 which created the GNA as the legitimate interim Libyan government, it was not wholly implemented due to disagreements with the Tobruk-based parliament.

Stay up to date with our election coverage here</s>New Delhi, Apr 07: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that India has evacuated its entire contingent of peacekeeping forces comprising 15 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel from Tripoli after the situation there "suddenly worsened".

Taking to Twitter, Swaraj described the situation,''The situation in Libya has suddenly worsened. There is fighting in Tripoli. Indian Embassy in Tunisia @IndiainTunisia has evacuated the entire contingent of 15 CRPF personnel yesterday itself. I appreciate the excellent work by the Indian Embassy in Tunisia. #Libya.''

She said "Indian Ambassador in Tunisia has the concurrent charge of Libya. CRPF contingent is deployed as the Peacekeeping force in Tripoli."

Sushma Swaraj also put out the phone numbers of the officials that should be contacted by Indians in Tripoli. She tweeted, "All Indians in distress in Tripoli may please contact Mr.Mehtab on +218916320278 or Mr.Mustafa on +218924201771 or +218912146640."

This came after Eastern Libyan Army Commander Khalifa Hafter on Thursday ordered his forces, the Libyan National Army (LNA), to take over Tripoli - the capital of the United Nations-backed government - amid reports of escalating political tension in Libya.

Haftar has since been accused of violating political agreements concluded under the United Nations by Fayez Sarraj, the Prime Minister of the Tripoli-based UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

Even though a deal was signed in 2015 which created the GNA as the legitimate interim Libyan government, it was not wholly implemented due to disagreements with the Tobruk-based parliament.

Stay up to date with our election coverage here</s>BENGHAZI: The United States has temporarily withdrawn some of its forces from Libya due to "security conditions on the ground," a top military official said on Sunday as a Libyan commander's forces advanced toward the capital of Tripoli and clashed with rival militias.A small contingent of American troops has been in Libya in recent years, helping local forces combat Islamic State and al-Qaida militants, as well as protecting diplomatic facilities."The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable,'' said Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the head of US. Africa Command."Even with an adjustment of the force, we will continue to remain agile in support of existing US strategy."He did not provide details on the number of US troops that have been withdrawn or how many remain in the country.Footage circulating online showed two apparent US Navy transport craft maneuvering off a beach in Janzour, east of Tripoli, sending up plumes of spray as American forces were ferried from the shore.India also evacuated a small contingent of peacekeepers. The Indian foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, said the country's 15 Central Reserve Police Force peacekeepers were evacuated Saturday from Tripoli because the ``situation in Libya has suddenly worsened'' and fighting has moved into the capital city.The self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, launched a surprise offensive against the capital last week, a move that could potentially drag the country back into civil war. Libya has been gripped by unrest since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. In recent years, the country has been governed by rival authorities in the east and in Tripoli, in the west, each backed by various armed groups.Fayez Sarraj, head of government in Tripoli, accused Hifter of ``betraying'' him.`We have extended our hands towards peace, but after the aggression that has taken place on the part of forces belonging to Hifter and his declaration of war against our cities and our capital ... he will find nothing but strength and firmness,'' al-Sarraj said Saturday in televised comments.Sarraj and Hifter held talks in Abu Dhabi in late February, their first confirmed meeting since November 2018, when they agreed that national elections were necessary, according to the U.N.Hifter is seeking to capture the capital and seize military control of the whole country before U.N.-sponsored talks due to start next week that were designed to set a time frame for possible elections in the oil-rich country.The U.N. envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, said the U.N. is determined to hold the planned conference.Fighting was underway Sunday at the international airport, some 24 kilometers (15 miles) from central Tripoli, after Hifter claimed to have seized the area. The airport was destroyed in a previous bout of militia fighting in 2014. Hifter said his forces had launched airstrikes targeting rival militias on the outskirts of Tripoli.The rival militias, which are affiliated with a U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, said they had also carried out airstrikes, slowing Hifter's advance.Armed groups behind the U.N.-backed government of national accord, or GNA, have announced an effort to defend Tripoli, vowing to recapture all areas seized by Hifter's forces.Col. Mohamed Gnounou, a spokesman for GNA forces, said in televised comments Sunday that the counteroffensive, dubbed ``Volcano of Anger,'' was aimed at ``purging all Libyan cities of aggressor and illegitimate forces.''The two sides reported that at least 35 people, including civilians, had been killed since Thursday.The Health Ministry of the Tripoli-based government said in a statement that at least 21 people, including a physician, were killed and at least 27 wounded. Ahmed al-Mesmari, a spokesman for Hifter's forces, said Saturday that 14 troops had been killed since the offensive began.The fighting has displaced hundreds of people, the U.N. migration agency said. The U.N. mission to Libya called for a two-hour cease-fire on Sunday in parts of Tripoli to evacuate civilians and the wounded.The LNA is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France and Russia. It answers to the authorities based in eastern Libya, who are at odds with the UN-backed government.</s>The United States has temporarily withdrawn some of its forces from Libya due to 'security conditions on the ground,' a top military official said Sunday as a Libyan commander's forces advanced toward the capital of Tripoli and clashed with rival militias.

A small contingent of American troops has been in Libya in recent years, helping local forces combat Islamic State and al-Qaida militants, as well as protecting diplomatic facilities.

'The security realities on the ground in Libya are growing increasingly complex and unpredictable,' said Marine Corps Gen Thomas Waldhauser, the head of US Africa Command.

'Even with an adjustment of the force, we will continue to remain agile in support of existing US strategy.'

He did not provide details on the number of US troops that have been withdrawn or how many remain in the country.

Footage circulating online showed two apparent US Navy transport craft maneuvering off a beach in Janzour, east of Tripoli, sending up plumes of spray as American forces were ferried from the shore.

India also evacuated a small contingent of peacekeepers. The Indian foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, said the country's 15 Central Reserve Police Force peacekeepers were evacuated Saturday from Tripoli because the 'situation in Libya has suddenly worsened' and fighting has moved into the capital city.

The self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, launched a surprise offensive against the capital last week, a move that could potentially drag the country back into civil war.

Libya has been gripped by unrest since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

In recent years, the country has been governed by rival authorities in the east and in Tripoli, in the west, each backed by various armed groups.

Fayez Sarraj, head of government in Tripoli, accused Hifter of 'betraying' him.

'We have extended our hands towards peace, but after the aggression that has taken place on the part of forces belonging to Hifter and his declaration of war against our cities and our capital ... he will find nothing but strength and firmness,' al-Sarraj said Saturday in televised comments.

Sarraj and Hifter held talks in Abu Dhabi in late February, their first confirmed meeting since November 2018, when they agreed that national elections were necessary, according to the UN.

Hifter is seeking to capture the capital and seize military control of the whole country before UN-sponsored talks due to start next week that were designed to set a time frame for possible elections in the oil-rich country.

The UN envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, said the UN is determined to hold the planned conference.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Libyan factions to return to negotiations, saying that 'there is no military solution to the Libya conflict.'

'We have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar's forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital,' Pompeo said in a statement.

Fighting was underway Sunday at the international airport, some 24 kilometers (15 miles) from central Tripoli, after Hifter claimed to have seized the area. The airport was destroyed in a previous bout of militia fighting in 2014. Hifter said his forces had launched airstrikes targeting rival militias on the outskirts of Tripoli.

The rival militias, which are affiliated with a UN-backed government in Tripoli, said they had also carried out airstrikes, slowing Hifter's advance.

Armed groups behind the UN-backed government of national accord, or GNA, have announced an effort to defend Tripoli, vowing to recapture all areas seized by Hifter's forces.

Col Mohamed Gnounou, a spokesman for GNA forces, said in televised comments Sunday that the counteroffensive, dubbed 'Volcano of Anger,' was aimed at 'purging all Libyan cities of aggressor and illegitimate forces.'

The two sides reported that at least 35 people, including civilians, had been killed since Thursday.

The Health Ministry of the Tripoli-based government said in a statement that at least 21 people, including a physician, were killed and at least 27 wounded. Ahmed al-Mesmari, a spokesman for Hifter's forces, said Saturday that 14 troops had been killed since the offensive began.

The fighting has displaced hundreds of people, the UN migration agency said. The UN mission to Libya called for a two-hour cease-fire on Sunday in parts of Tripoli to evacuate civilians and the wounded.

The LNA is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France and Russia. It answers to the authorities based in eastern Libya, who are at odds with the UN-backed government.
The United States Africa Command evacuates a contingent of U.S. troops from Libya due to the unrest. India also withdraws a contingent of peacekeepers from Tripoli.