Violence erupted anew in Libya as the military tries to reclaim the city of Benghazi from Islamist militants.

Since the military launched its offensive in Benghazi last month, over 200 people have died in the clashes. The country has been in chaos since Colonel Gaddafi's ouster in 2011, according to BBC News.

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As the city continues to be shaken by clashes, the Libyan National Army said it launched airstrikes on a 30-vehicle convoy on its way to Benghazi yesterday. The new round of violence left 36 people in the city dead within just 24 hours, Libya Herald detailed.

Libya is presently torn between two governments fighting for control over the resource-rich nation, and militia groups and other political factions are also joining in the power struggle.

On Monday noon, the army asked the residents in the area to leave before they conducted their operation. In the afternoon, the army reportedly deployed tanks and artillery in preparation for another offensive.

Dozens of people living in the area evacuated to flee the violence, but many of them do not have a place to go. Some of them are hesitant to go to another city, afraid of the crossfire they might encounter, Rana Jawad of BBC said.

In July, hostile militiamen ousted Libya's newly elected government and took control of Tripoli, forcing the internationally recognized authorities to flee to an area near the Egyptian border. In addition, Islamist and terrorist groups have established a caliphate in Derna, a coastal city.

Libya's elected government lost three of its main cities in the political turmoil - Tripoli, Benghazi and Misrata, the report enumerated.

Although some members of the old parliament in Tripoli still retained their posts and have established their own government, the international community does not recognize their rule.

As for Benghazi, al-Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters have taken control of majority of the city. The terrorist group reportedly assassinates journalists, activists and officials almost every day. 

TagsLibya, Libya violence, Benghazi, Tripoli, Misrata, Islamist militants