TRIPOLI, June 9 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan Red Crescent said that it evacuated more than 320 families in the eastern city of Darna from sites of clashes between the army and terrorist groups on Friday.
The Libyan Red Crescent also revealed that nine unidentified bodies were recovered and buried in a cemetery east of Darna.
Local media published images of hundreds of civilians leaving Darna, as clashes intensified and the army progressed towards taking over the entire city.
The army has made significant progress in Darna in the past few days, reaching the city center after fierce battles forced the terrorist groups to retreat and lose more than half of the city.
The army has been besieging Darna since 2015, demanding the armed group of the Shura Council of Mujahideen of Darna, which controls the city, leave. The army accuses the group of being loyal to al-Qaida.
The Red Crescent on Wednesday called on the people of Darna not to leave their homes until a safe passage is secured.
Humanitarian Coordinator for the UN Support Mission in Libya Maria Ribeiro recently called for a "humanitarian pause to allow life-saving humanitarian goods into the city and allow people to stock up on supplies."
