BENGHAZI, Libya
Libya's interim government on Tuesday ordered army troops to launch a military operation aimed at "liberating" capital Tripoli from armed militias.
In a statement, the government said it had ordered the army to "liberate" Tripoli – and the state institutions located therein – from armed groups.
It called on young Libyans in Tripoli and its outskirts "to join hands with the army to liberate yourselves, your families and your city."
The interim government went on to accuse local militias of destroying public and private property in the city, torturing residents and attacking the homes of government officials.
It also vowed to prosecute the speaker of Libya's former interim parliament and the head of the country's "illegitimate government" – now based in Tripoli – for "staging a coup" against the legitimate authority.
Libya has been dogged by political instability since the 2011 ouster and death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi. In the three years since, rival militias have frequently locked horns, bringing violence to Libya's main cities.
The sharp political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government, each of which has its own institutions.
Two assemblies currently vie for legislative authority: the recently-elected House of Representatives, which convenes in the eastern city of Tobruk; and the General National Congress, which – even though its mandate ended in August – continues to convene in capital Tripoli.
The two parliaments support two different governments respectively headquartered in the two cities.
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