TRIPOLI, June 3 (Xinhua) -- At least two civilians were killed by air strikes carried out by Libya's eastern-based army targeting the eastern Libyan city of Darna, head of the city council confirmed on Saturday.
"At least two civilians were killed by four air strikes targeting various locations in the city, specifically at the populated western entrance of the city," Awad L'eraj told Xinhua later on Saturday.
"The city is besieged from all directions, as military forces are trying to break into it without taking into account the civilians and the losses they would suffer by the continuous air strikes and shelling," L'eraj said.
He called on international organizations to "lift the siege on Darna and enable entry of medicine and food, as civilians are on the brink of famine."
However, no international organization can provide any aids without prior authorization by Libya's eastern-based army, which is besieging the city, L'eraj added.
The official accused Tripoli-based UN-backed government of "abandoning Darna and its residents", after the government announced it was unable to provide any aids for the city due to the military action.
The UN Support Mission in Libya on Friday said that at least 17 civilians had been killed and 22 others wounded in Darna over the past two weeks, as a result of the fighting between the army and militants.
The mission also confirmed that some 125,000 people in Darna were suffering power blackouts and water shortage, appealing to all parties in Darna to "allow unfettered and safe access" by humanitarian workers.
The eastern-based army, led by General Khalifa Haftar, has been besieging Darna since 2015 and demanding the armed group of the Shura Council of Mujahideen of Darna leave the city. The army accuses the group of being loyal to al-Qaida.
