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France evacuates French and British expats from Libya | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The French government says it has evacuated French and British nationals from Libya, as battles rage between government forces and militias. | |
A French diplomatic source said 40 French nationals, including the ambassador, had been evacuated by ship along with seven British nationals. | |
France's embassy in Tripoli has been closed temporarily, the French foreign ministry said on its website. | |
Libya has been gripped by instability since the 2011 uprising. | |
The French government spokesman in Paris, Stephane Le Foll, announced that French and British nationals had been evacuated, without giving numbers. | |
An unnamed diplomatic source gave the numbers to France's AFP news agency, saying the expats had been evacuated by the French army. | |
On Sunday, the US evacuated its embassy in Tripoli, citing a "real risk" because of the fighting. | |
Together with France, Germany and the UK, it advised its nationals in Libya to leave immediately. | |
The UN announced this week it was pulling its staff out. | |
France and the UK played an important role in enforcing a no-fly zone in Libya in 2011, when rebels toppled long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was captured and killed. |