Gunmen kidnap mayor of Libya's Tripoli

Armed men have kidnapped the mayor of Libya's capital Tripoli from his home, authorities said on Thursday.

Gunmen stormed Abdulraouf Hassan Beitelmal's house on Wednesday night and took him "by force of arms," the city council said in a statement.

As of Thursday afternoon, the gunmen's demands were unclear.

The council urged Libya's internationally recognised unity government to "immediately take all necessary measures" to ensure Beitelmal's release.

It also announced his office was suspending all its activities in protest at his kidnapping.

The oil-rich North African country has been wracked by chaos since a 2011 uprising that toppled and killed long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Two authorities – the Tripoli-based unity government and a rival administration in the east – are vying for control of Libya.

But security has improved in Tripoli since last summer, when militias allied with the unity government drove their rivals from the capital after deadly clashes.

Kidnappings, however, remain frequent.