An Islamist-allied militia group has "secured" a US Embassy residential compound in Libya's capital Tripoli, more than a month after American personnel evacuated from the country, one of its commanders said yesterday.
An Associated Press journalist walked through the compound yesterday after the Dawn of Libya, an umbrella group for Islamist militias, invited onlookers inside.
A commander for the Dawn of Libya group, Moussa Abu-Zaqia, told the AP that his forces had entered and been in control of the compound since last week, a day after it had seized control of the capital and its strategic airport. Abu-Zaqia said the rival militia was in the compound before his troops took it over.
A video posted online showed men playing in a pool at the compound. In a message on Twitter, US Ambassador to Libya Deborah Jones said the video appeared to have been shot in at the embassy's residential annex.
She also said it appeared the compound was being "safeguarded" and was not "ransacked.