World Bulletin / News Desk

The UK and Morocco have decided to bring its citizens back home from Libya against the background of the worsening security situation in the country.

"A crisis group was formed to coordinate with diplomatic missions and the Moroccan consulate in Libya," the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It added that the group was formed with the aim of formulating a specific mechanism for bringing Moroccans voluntarily back from Libya and also offering emergency help to Moroccan citizens in Libya after the country's security conditions deteriorated.

Britain was one of the last western countries with an embassy open in Tripoli after two weeks of street fighting between rival militias forced the United States, the United Nations and European diplomatic staff to leave the North African country.

"Reluctantly we've decided we have to leave and temporarily suspend embassy operations in Libya," British Ambassador to Libya Michael Aron said on his Twitter account. "The risk of getting caught in the crossfire is too great."

The foreign office said in a statement late on Friday it would no longer be able to provide consular services in Tripoli after Aug. 4 when it would suspended embassy operations.

The infighting in Libya, which began in mid-July, has left 214 dead and 981 injured until two days ago, the Libyan Health Ministry announced on Friday.

One-hundred and two people have been killed and 452 injured in capital Tripoli, while 77 were killed and 289 injured in eastern Benghazi.

Thirty-five people have also been killed and 240 injured in Marj city, 90 kilometers east of Benghazi.

In the past few months, Libya has been plagued by heavy fighting between a loosely organized army and militias that clung to their weapons following a bloody uprising that ended the autocracy of long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The Libyan capital Tripoli has been the scene of fierce clashes between warring militias over control of several vital facilities in the city.

The country's second largest city Benghazi has also turned into a battlefield between army units loyal to renegade general Khalifa Haftar and Ansar Al-Sharia militia.

Tunisia closes border crossing with Libya

The Tunisian authorities on Friday announced the temporary closure of Ben Gardane border crossing with Libya after violence broke out in the terminal amid an overwhelming flow of Egyptians fleeing Libya.

"A Tunisian policeman was shot and injured by mistake when border guards opened fire into the air in an attempt to disperse crowds of Egyptians and others who have been trying to cross into Tunisia," a Tunisian security source told Anadolu Agency on the condition of anonymity.

The Tunisian policemen used teargas to control the situation and close the crossing temporarily, he added.

The development came after two Egyptians were killed in a deadly stampede Thursday at the crossing.

Thousands of Egyptians have gathered at the terminal to cross into Tunisia from violence-wracked Libya.

On Thursday, Egypt evacuated 316 nationals from Tunisia.

Libya's parliament to hold first session Saturday

Libya's new parliament is due to convene for an emergency session later on Saturday, a member of the parliament said.

"The members of parliament are due to elect a parliament speaker, a deputy and a rapporteur during the session," lawmaker Abubakr Buera, who is due to head the first parliament session on Saturday, being the oldest lawmaker, told Anadolu Agency.

The parliament is due to be handed Libya's legislative authority by the General National Congress whose mandate ended months ago.

Buera said enough lawmakers had arrived to the eastern Libyan city of Tobruq on Friday to make the required quorum for the parliament session to be constitutionally viable.

A total of 188 Libyan candidates managed to win the parliamentary elections that were held on June 25. Some 12 parliamentary seats remain to be vacant because of Libya's deteriorating security conditions.

The new Libyan parliament will hold its first session on Saturday, while this North African country suffers deteriorating security conditions and military confrontations.