UN to withdraw Libya mission

In a statement posted on its website on Monday, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said that the withdrawal comes after already pulling out dozens of personnel over the past week.

"This is a temporary measure. Staff will return as soon as security conditions permit. The United Nations, which stood by the Libyan people in their revolution in 2011, will not abandon them as they seek to build a democratic state. The United Nations looks forward to continuing to work with its Libyan partners and hopes to return to Tripoli as soon as possible," the statement said.

It also cited fighting between rival militia's on Sunday and the closure of Tripoli International Airport as reasons for why the mission is making a full withdrawal of staffers. At least six people were killed and 25 injured Sunday in the fighting.

The capital, Tripoli is witnessing one of its worst waves of violence since the ouster of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The militias, many of which originate from rebel forces that fought Gadhafi, have attempted to fill the subsequent power vacuum. But rivalries over control have led to fierce fighting among them.

hc/kms (Reuters, AP)