Eastern forces and troops loyal to the Tripoli government battled on the outskirts of Libya's capital on Wednesday as thousands of residents fled from the fighting.
The Libyan National Army (LNA) forces of eastern commander Khalifa Hifter held positions in the suburbs about 11 km (7 miles) south of the center. Steel containers and pickups with mounted machine-guns blocked their way into the city.
Residents reported LNA planes buzzing Tripoli as anti-aircraft guns fired at them. On the ground, Hifter's forces were fighting Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj's soldiers at the former international airport, witnesses said.