Tripoli, July 28 (RHC)-- Several countries have advised their nationals in Libya to leave the country immediately amid a raging battle in the capital, Tripoli. On Sunday, Cairo called on its citizens in Tripoli and Benghazi to seek "safer areas in Libya or head to the Libya-Tunisia border." The violence also prompted Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands to follow suit.

Previously, Belgium, Malta, Spain and Turkey did the same and called out their nationals. The U.S. also pulled out its diplomatic staff on Saturday. Libya is witnessing one of its worst spasms of violence since the ouster of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in a military action supported by the U.S. and NATO forces in 2011.

Clashes in the capital broke out between rival militias on July 13th over the control of the main international airport. The airport has been controlled by militias from the town of Zintan since the overthrow of Gaddafi. Rival groups have unleashed dozens of rocket attacks on the airport in a bid to bring it under their control.

Two weeks of fighting in the capital has left 97 people dead and over 400 injured. Another 38 people were also killed in the ongoing clashes between the army and militant groups in Benghazi on Sunday.

Nearly three years after the fall of Gaddafi, Libya is still grappling with rising insecurity as the country has been witnessing numerous clashes between government forces and rival militant groups. The former rebels refuse to lay down arms despite efforts by the central government to impose law and order.

Thousands of angry Libyan demonstrators frequently take to the streets in different cities to protest against the lack of security across the North African country.