Britain withdraws some embassy staff from Libya

Britain has withdrawn some staff from its embassy in Libya in response to the "ongoing political uncertainty" in the country, the Foreign Office said Friday.

"The British Embassy is temporarily withdrawing a small number of staff, mainly those who work in support of government ministries which have been affected by recent developments," the BBC quoted a statement as saying.

However, it said the mission in the Libyan capital of Tripoli remained "open as usual", including for consular and visa services.

Heavily armed militias have been besieging government buildings in Tripoli over the past month to push their political demands.

In April, a car bomb explosion outside the French embassy in Tripoli wounded two French guards and several residents.

It was the first major attack on a foreign embassy in the Libyan capital.

The British Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to Tripoli and against all travel to other parts of Libya, such as the eastern city of Benghazi.

In September 2012, the US consulate in Benghazi was attacked by armed men, leading to the killing of then US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other US officials.