Leave Libya now, Foreign Office tells Britons

There has been fierce fighting near Tripoli airport

British people in Libya should leave the country immediately because of growing instability there, the Foreign Office has said.

It said it was advising against all travel to Libya because of the “greater intensity of fighting” in the capital, Tripoli, and the likelihood of further attacks on foreigners.

It said several options were available for leaving by commercial means.

There are believed to be between 100 and 300 Britons in Libya at present.

The British embassy in Tripoli remains open, but is operating with a reduced staff.

The Foreign Office said its ability to provide consular assistance was “very limited”.

EvacuatedSince late 2013, a number of foreign nationals have been shot dead in Libya. The Foreign Office said further attacks were “likely”.

The updated travel advice comes amid reports of at least 30 deaths in clashes between Libyan government forces and Islamist militants in the city of Benghazi.

There were also reports of intense fighting near Tripoli airport. More than 20 people are said to have been killed.

On Saturday, the US evacuated its embassy in Tripoli, citing a “real risk” because of the fighting.

Libya’s central government has increasingly lost control over the country to rogue militias in the last two years, says the BBC’s Rana Jawad in Tripoli.