Libya asks UN, world for help after wave of violence

TRIPOLI: Libya called on the United Nations and international community to help fight what it called a war on terrorism, the government said on Wednesday, struggling to stop the major oil producer sliding into widening chaos and instability.
The appeal came after a wave of bombings and assassinations in the eastern city of Benghazi and clashes between pro-government forces and a rebel militia controlling major oil ports in Sirte in central Libya.
The violence is part of turmoil in the North African country where the government in unable to control militias that helped overthrow Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 but kept their weapons to grab oil wealth and power.
“Terrorist groups” had declared war on Benghazi, Sirte and other cities, the government said. A powerful car bomb targeting an army academy killed at least eight people in Benghazi on Monday.
“Libya’s interim government asks the international community and especially the United Nations to provide assistance to uproot terrorism,” the government said in a statement posted on its website.
“The government confirms that it wants this war on terror and its crimes to start as soon as possible,” it said. (Agencies)