The death toll from fighting between rival armed groups in Libya's capital has climbed to at least 50 people including civilians, authorities said Tuesday, as the UN mission stepped up efforts to a cease-fire. The U.N.-backed government based in Tripoli declared a state of emergency in the capital “given the seriousness of the current situation.”

Although the government is formally in charge, it does not control the capital where armed groups are allied to it but operate with autonomy, often motivated by money and power. According to the GNA's health ministry, around 40 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded since the fighting first broke out on Monday in the capital's southern suburbs. Sunday's statement by the government urged rival militias to stop the fighting and abide a U.N.-negotiated ceasefire. Independent national media based inside Libya scarcely exists as journalists often face threats from armed groups or officials unhappy with critical coverage

Libya slid into chaos after the 2011 uprising that overthrew and ruler Muammar Gaddafi and led to his death. Libya is governed by rival authorities — the internationally recognized operates from Tripoli in the west, while the other is based in the eastern city of Tobruk.
More than 40 people, including civilians, have died in clashes in the Libyan city of Tripoli.