Libyan PM survives assassination attempt

Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya's UN-backed unity government, survived an assassination attempt on Monday, when his convoy came under fire in the capital Tripoli.

"The convoy of GNA (Government of National Accord) chief Fayez al-Sarraj ... came under fire as it passed near the Abu Slim sector of Tripoli," said unity government spokesman Ashraf al-Thulthi.

"All the cars were armoured-plated, and there were no injuries," he said, adding an investigation is underway to identify the assailants.

Libya has been wracked by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody uprising ended with the ouster and death of Muammar Gaddafi after 42 years in power.

In the wake of the uprising, the country's stark political division yielded two rival seats of government, one in Tobruk and the other in Tripoli.

In an effort to resolve the political standoff, Libya''s rival governments signed a UN-backed agreement in late 2015, establishing a government of national unity.