World Bulletin/News Desk

 Libya's caretaker government has called on fighting parties in the eastern city of Benghazi to immediately suspend their animosities and get out of the turbulent city.

In a statement late on Saturday, the government called on what it described as "wise people" to intervene to bring an immediate end to confrontations in Benghazi and stop bloodshed in the city.

It referred to what it called the "tough conditions" of the residents of Benghazi, saying these residents live in ceaseless fear because of the fighting.

The government described Benghazi fighting as "unjustified".

Benghazi has been in turmoil since the downfall of the Muammar Gaddafi regime in 2011.

Months ago, the city received a fresh dose of unrest when retired army general, Khalifa Haftar, took the law unto his hands and decided to fight city Islamists.

Repeated outbreaks of fighting between Haftar's forces and Benghazi's Islamists leave casualties on both sides.