PARIS - France has evacuated nearly 50 French and British citizens from Libya by ship, French authorities said on Wednesday amid growing lawlessness and unrest in the north African country.
Flames and smoke billow from an oil depot where a huge blaze started following clashes around Tripoli airport on July 28, 2014
A French diplomatic source said 40 French nationals, including the ambassador, were evacuated along with seven British nationals.
Government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said the French and British nationals had been evacuated by ship but did not say how many.
The naval ship carrying them is bound for the southern French port of Toulon and the French embassy in Tripoli has been temporarily closed, the foreign ministry said.
Two weeks of fighting around Tripoli airport and between rival militias have killed scores of people and prompted several countries to urge their citizens to leave Libya.