By Moataz al-Majbari
BENGHAZI
The Libyan Red Crescent on Tuesday evacuated 39 Turkish workers from a hospital construction site in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi, where clashes had broken out between government troops and local Islamist militias.
Staff and patients at two government hospitals in the city were also evacuated on Monday.
"The Red Crescent evacuation team removed 39 Turkish workers from a construction site in the vicinity of the clashes," Libya Red Crescent spokesman Mohamed al-Misrati told The Anadolu Agency.
"The Turks were moved to a safe location in the city's eastern Al-Salam neighborhood. They're waiting to be transferred to the city of Al-Bayda, from which they will head back to Turkey," al-Misrati said.
The spokesman added that the 39 Turks were all in good health.
Libya has been dogged by political instability since the 2011 ouster and death of long-ruling strongman Muammar Gaddafi.
Ever since, rival militias have frequently locked horns, often bringing violence to the country's main cities, especially Tripoli and Benghazi.
The central government, meanwhile, has remained largely absent from the scene.
On Monday, Libya's parliament in Tobruk declared Benghazi a "disaster zone," citing a wave of "terrorist acts" that have gripped the flashpoint city for the last month.
Two assemblies currently vie for legislative authority in the country: the newly-elected House of Representatives, which convenes in Tobruk, and the General National Congress, which – even though its mandate ended in August – continues to meet in Tripoli.
The two parliaments support two rival governments, which have their headquarters in the two cities.
www.aa.com.tr/en
