Egypt flies home 71 nationals from Libya after unrest

Egypt has flown 71 nationals home from the Libyan capital Tripoli after deadly clashes between rival militias rocked the city earlier this month, the foreign ministry said.

Friday's special flight by flag carrier EgyptAir "enabled the repatriation of 71 Egyptian citizens who had expressed a desire to come home", the ministry said.

From May 12 to 15, the Libyan capital was rocked by fighting between an armed group aligned with the Tripoli-based government and factions it has sought to dismantle.

The clashes, which saw artillery exchanges in the city centre, killed at least eight people, according to the United Nations.

Although relative calm has since returned to the city, the situation remains highly volatile as calls grow for the resignation of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah.

Turkey evacuated 82 of its nationals from Tripoli on a similar repatriation flight last week.

Libya is split between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli led by Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east.

The North African country has remained deeply divided since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.