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Italian Embassy in Libya Refutes Reports Alleging Staff Evacuation Over Clashes

© REUTERS / Esam Omran Al-FetoriA tank of Libyan National Army (LNA) is seen during clashes with Islamist militants in their last stronghold in Benghazi, Libya, July 6, 2017
A tank of Libyan National Army (LNA) is seen during clashes with Islamist militants in their last stronghold in Benghazi, Libya, July 6, 2017 - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - At least four people were killed and seven more injured when a rocket hit Al-Fallah refugee camp in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, media reported on Sunday.

According to the Sky News Arabia broadcaster, the rocket was fired by one of the armed groups fighting in the suburbs of Tripoli.

Al-Fallah is one of a number of camps housing those displaced from the town of Tawergha close to Misrata. Tawergha residents, known for their darker skin, were ethnically cleansed from the town after its capture by anti-government militias from Misrata during the Libyan civil war.

Smoke rises during a battle between Libyan forces allied with the U.N.-backed government and Islamic State fighters in neighborhood Number Two in Sirte, Libya August 16, 2016 - Sputnik International
Hundreds Flee in Huge Libya Prison Break Near Tripoli - Police
The residents have been accused of leading the siege of Misrata by forces loyal to late leader Muammar Gaddafi and have since been persecuted and prevented from returning home.

Meanwhile, the Italian Embassy in Tripoli said Sunday that reports on it evacuating its staff due to ongoing clashes in the Libyan capital were not true and that the mission was operating as normal.

The Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) announced on Sunday a state of emergency in the country's capital and its surroundings due to persistent clashes between rival armed groups. Arab media reported on the evacuation of the Italian mission earlier in the day.

"The Italian Embassy in Libya remains open. We continue to stand by the beloved people of Tripoli in this difficult juncture," the mission tweeted.

An aerial shot taken from a helicopter shows the Libyan capital Tripoli. (File) - Sputnik International
Libyan Gov't Imposes State of Emergency in Tripoli Over Clashes in City Suburbs
Starting August 26, the southern suburbs of Tripoli saw multiple clashes between the so-called Seventh Brigade from Tarhouna, also known as Kaniyat, and the Tripoli Revolutionaries Battalion (TRB), nominally affiliated with the GNA Interior Ministry. At least 40 people have been reported killed.

Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 civil war, which resulted in the overthrow of its longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The eastern part of the country is governed by the House of Representatives with headquarters in the city of Tobruk. The UN-backed GNA, headed by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, operates in the country's west and is headquartered in Tripoli.

READ MORE: US Officer Arrested for Daesh Ties Traveled to Libya to Overthrow Gaddafi

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