World Bulletin/News Desk

Clashes erupted between army forces and militiamen in Libya's eastern Benghazi city late Wednesday following the expiry of a 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire, eyewitnesses said.

Armed clashes broke out in the al-Sabri district in the troubled city, an eyewitness told Anadolu Agency.

Earlier Wednesday, the Libyan army declared a 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire in Benghazi to allow citizens to leave flashpoint areas where its troops continue to fight Brotherhood allied militias.

In a statement, the army command, which is backed by the elected House of Representatives, said that the cease-fire was agreed upon with the UN's envoy to the volatile country, Bernardo Leon.

In recent weeks, Benghazi has turned into a battlefield as army troops and armed local residents fight  militiamen.

Earlier this week, Libya's Tobruk-based House of Representatives declared the city a "disaster zone," citing a wave of "terrorist acts" that has gripped the flashpoint city for months.

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 Libya's main cities, especially capital Tripoli and Benghazi.

The central government, meanwhile, has remained largely absent from the scene.

The sharp political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government, each of which has its own institutions.

Two assemblies currently vie for legislative authority: the House of Representatives, which convenes in Tobruk, and the General National Congress, which – even though its mandate ended in August – continues to convene in Tripoli.

The two parliaments support two rival governments respectively headquartered in the two cities.