The US ambassador to Libya has quit her Twitter account after a barrage of complaints followed her claim that civilians had been killed in an air strike by pro-government warplanes.

Deborah Jones, whose Twitter account is one of the most viewed in Libya, said she made the decision after suffering “vulgar personal attacks”.

Jones came in for criticism after she tweeted on Monday that eight refugees had been killed when government jets attacked militia positions at Tarhouna, south of the capital.

“Terrible news today from #Tarhouna where 8 innocent displaced #Tawergha killed in air strikes. This violence serves no one’s interests,” she wrote.

Reuters published a story on the ambassador’s claim, triggering a wave of adverse comment on Twitter, which has become a primary news source in Libya after the collapse of much mainstream media.

The internationally recognised government, based in Tobruk after the Libya Dawn militia alliance captured Tripoli, issued a statement accusing Jones of “falsification”, and demanded a retraction.

Jones appeared to backtrack slightly, writing: “Numbers may need correction but bottom line remains: violence serves no one.”

Adding to the confusion, there were reports that a family of eight near Tarhouna was attacked on Monday by a militia that accused them of passing information to the air force.

Jones, who is based in Malta after the US embassy evacuated Tripoli in the summer, later announced to her 50,200 followers: “I have concluded it is best to cease efforts to communicate via Twitter.”

I have concluded it is best to cease efforts to communicate via Twitter insofar as it distracts from our goal of peace & stability 4 #Libya — Safira Deborah (@SafiraDeborah) March 23, 2015

Meanwhile, controversy over the air strikes claim continues. Evidence to back the claim has yet to surface, with most human rights groups having fled the area.

The controversy comes with some government officials accusing the US of siding with Libya Dawn – an alliance that has installed a rival government in Tripoli, and is calling for a unity government to end the country’s civil war.