Fighting has flared in southern Tripoli as General Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) intensified its assault on the capital despite a United Nations appeal for a cease fire.

The United Nations mission to Libya (Unsmil) called for an "urgent" two hour truce to allow the evacuation of civilians and wounded from Tripoli's southern suburbs on Sunday, where troops loyal to the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) were battling to halt the LNA assault on the city.

But the violence saw no sign of abating, with Gen Haftar's forces launching at least one airstrike on a Tripoli suburb, and witnesses reported hearing grad rockets firing to the south of the city.

The airstrike was the LNA's first use of air power in the battle. It came after pro-government forces launched air-raids on Saturday.