Three years after Colonel Gaddafi’s demise, Libya’s fragile government is struggling to impose order.<br /><br />Heavily-armed former anti-Gaddafi fighters rule the streets of the capital Tripoli.<br /><br />Two rival groups have exchanged rocket and artillery fire in all-out combat for control of the capital’s main airport. On July 28, a missile hit a fuel storage tank in the vicinity, closing off most international flights and leaving fire fighters battling to control the blaze.<br /><br />Meanwhile, scores of people died in the oil-rich eastern city of Benghazi following clashes between Libyan Special Forces and Islamist militants during the same weekend.<br /><br />According to medical and security forces 36 people were killed and a further 65 wounded during Sunday’s conflict. <br /><br />Thick, black smoke could be seen over the Benghazi skyline for hours afterwards.<br /><br />Dozens of families have been forced to evacuate from the area to escape the violence.<br /><br />Libyan authorities say more than 150 people have died in Tripoli and Benghazi in the past two weeks of intensified fighting. <br /><br />Several countries have urged their citizens to leave the country, while the United States, United Nations and Turkey have all pulled diplomats out.<br /><br />The government has appealed for international help to stop Libya from becoming a failed state.
