At least 28 people were killed in fierce clashes between rival militias in Libya, the Ministry of Health said.
The fighting in Libya’s capital of Tripoli injured 130 others and officials said they expect more casualties.
Violence began Friday when anti-government militias launched an offensive called “Libya pride” against the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
Residents heard loud explosions, gunfire and tanks rolling down the streets. Photos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke rising in different areas and militiamen on the streets.
“Can hear explosions and artillery fire in south Tripoli. Condemn action by these militias who threaten security of Libyans, especially before Ramadan,” British Ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett wrote on Twitter.
People were trapped in combat zones, leading the International Committee of the Red Cross to urge all sides of the conflict to help ambulances reach the injured.
In a statement, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, called on “rival groups to stop fighting immediately and put Libyan national interest first.”
The clashes, which were mostly reported on the southern neighborhoods in the city, come after a period of relative calm.
Five years have passed since the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, but three governments vie for power in Libya, multiple tribes compete for influence and a slice of the country’s dwindling oil wealth; while ISIS has gained a foothold in some areas.
Last year, the United Nations hastened the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord in an effort to promote stability.
But it continues to compete with the Islamist-dominated General National Congress in Tripoli, also known as the Government of National Salvation, and with the previous internationally recognized government, the Council of Deputies, which has set up camp in the east of Libya and backs Gen. Khalifa Haftar, the head of the so-called Libyan army.