Shelling could also be heard on Thursday in parts of Tripoli where a battle was raging in two southern suburbs, residents and an eastern military official said.
The shelling came a day after seven people were killed when grad rockets hit a densely populated district of Tripoli, which the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Haftar have been trying to take, deepening the chaos that has plagued the oil-producing nation since Muammar Gaddafi's ouster in 2011.
Locals blamed Haftar's forces for the shelling, saying the rockets had been fired from the direction of his positions south of the capital.
"We say to the United Nations and the Security Council: listen. Listen to the bombing... Rockets are coming down on us. For this reason, please find a solution for us," said Youssef Salem, a displaced man from the southwestern suburb of al-Suani.
The LNA has denied shelling residential areas.
The renewed fighting has also displaced more than 25,000 people, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli issued arrest warrants for Haftar - a former CIA asset - and other top eastern officials, blaming them for Wednesday's shelling.
Eastern officials have already issued arrest warrants for GNA head Fayez al-Serraj and other western officials as there is no sign of a political solution or even of a ceasefire.
Refugees evacuated
The renewed fighting prompted the UN to evacuate 163 refugees from Libya to neighbouring Niger, but more than 3,000 others were still trapped in detention centres affected by clashes.
The move marked the first evacuation of refugees and migrants out of Libya since fighting escalated in Tripoli two weeks ago, the UN refugee agency said.
"Given the situation in Libya, humanitarian evacuations are a lifeline for detained refugees whose lives are in jeopardy in Libya," UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said in a statement.
Meanwhile, France on Thursday rejected Libya's "completely unfounded" accusation that it has been supporting Haftar, whose forces have launched an assault on Tripoli.
"France supports the legitimate government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and the mediation of the UN towards an inclusive political solution in Libya," the French presidency said in a statement.
The interior ministry of the UN-recognised government earlier Thursday announced suspension of relation with Paris after accusing France of actively supporting Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) based in the country's east.
Foreign powers
Meanwhile, foreign powers have been worried but unable to present a united front over the latest flare-up.
A British bid at the UN Security Council to demand a ceasefire in Libya faced opposition on Thursday from Russia and the United States, raising doubts about prospects for a draft resolution to halt the bloodshed in Tripoli, diplomats said.
Britain put forward the measure after forces loyal to Haftar launched their offensive on April 4 to seize Tripoli.
During a closed-door council meeting on Thursday, Russia again insisted that there be no references in the draft resolution criticising Haftar while the US appealed for more time to weigh its options, diplomats said.
The divisions among world powers deepened as fighting escalated in Tripoli.
"We want to have this resolution," German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen told reporters after the meeting. "We want to have a strong resolution... with a united council - everybody behind it - that says who is responsible and what needs to be done."
"Not having this now is something that is frustrating," he added.
British Ambassador Karen Pierce said efforts would continue to reach a consensus next week.
UN diplomats however, raised doubts over whether the council would be able to agree a text, with the US reluctance to take action throwing a new spanner in the works.
Oil flow
There was speculation that President Donald Trump's administration may be consulting Egypt, a strong Haftar ally, and other players in the region, or with the Libyan leaders themselves, on how to address the crisis.
The council heard a briefing by video link from Tripoli by UN envoy Ghassan Salame, who raised concerns about the escalation in fighting and weapons flows to Libya.
Italy, with considerable oil interests in the OPEC member, supports the Tripoli government of al-Serraj and was furious with French reluctance to back a recent European Union resolution urging Haftar to halt his advance.
The conflict threatens to disrupt oil flows, foment migration across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, and allow armed groups to exploit the chaos.
Haftar enjoys the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, who view him as an anchor to restore stability and combat armed groups.
His force seized earlier this year the south and its two oilfields, although tribesmen with flexible loyalties remain strong in the sparsely populated desert region.
On the weekend, the LNA dispatched a unit to the eastern oil ports of Ras Lanuf and Es Sider to prepare for a possible attack there.
The shelling came a day after seven people were killed when grad rockets hit a densely populated district of Tripoli, which the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Haftar have been trying to take, deepening the chaos that has plagued the oil-producing nation since Muammar Gaddafi's ouster in 2011.
Locals blamed Haftar's forces for the shelling, saying the rockets had been fired from the direction of his positions south of the capital.
"We say to the United Nations and the Security Council: listen. Listen to the bombing... Rockets are coming down on us. For this reason, please find a solution for us," said Youssef Salem, a displaced man from the southwestern suburb of al-Suani.
The LNA has denied shelling residential areas.
The renewed fighting has also displaced more than 25,000 people, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli issued arrest warrants for Haftar - a former CIA asset - and other top eastern officials, blaming them for Wednesday's shelling.
Eastern officials have already issued arrest warrants for GNA head Fayez al-Serraj and other western officials as there is no sign of a political solution or even of a ceasefire.
Refugees evacuated
The renewed fighting prompted the UN to evacuate 163 refugees from Libya to neighbouring Niger, but more than 3,000 others were still trapped in detention centres affected by clashes.
The move marked the first evacuation of refugees and migrants out of Libya since fighting escalated in Tripoli two weeks ago, the UN refugee agency said.
"Given the situation in Libya, humanitarian evacuations are a lifeline for detained refugees whose lives are in jeopardy in Libya," UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said in a statement.
Meanwhile, France on Thursday rejected Libya's "completely unfounded" accusation that it has been supporting Haftar, whose forces have launched an assault on Tripoli.
"France supports the legitimate government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and the mediation of the UN towards an inclusive political solution in Libya," the French presidency said in a statement.
The interior ministry of the UN-recognised government earlier Thursday announced suspension of relation with Paris after accusing France of actively supporting Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) based in the country's east.
Foreign powers
Meanwhile, foreign powers have been worried but unable to present a united front over the latest flare-up.
A British bid at the UN Security Council to demand a ceasefire in Libya faced opposition on Thursday from Russia and the United States, raising doubts about prospects for a draft resolution to halt the bloodshed in Tripoli, diplomats said.
Britain put forward the measure after forces loyal to Haftar launched their offensive on April 4 to seize Tripoli.
During a closed-door council meeting on Thursday, Russia again insisted that there be no references in the draft resolution criticising Haftar while the US appealed for more time to weigh its options, diplomats said.
The divisions among world powers deepened as fighting escalated in Tripoli.
"We want to have this resolution," German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen told reporters after the meeting. "We want to have a strong resolution... with a united council - everybody behind it - that says who is responsible and what needs to be done."
"Not having this now is something that is frustrating," he added.
British Ambassador Karen Pierce said efforts would continue to reach a consensus next week.
UN diplomats however, raised doubts over whether the council would be able to agree a text, with the US reluctance to take action throwing a new spanner in the works.
Oil flow
There was speculation that President Donald Trump's administration may be consulting Egypt, a strong Haftar ally, and other players in the region, or with the Libyan leaders themselves, on how to address the crisis.
The council heard a briefing by video link from Tripoli by UN envoy Ghassan Salame, who raised concerns about the escalation in fighting and weapons flows to Libya.
Italy, with considerable oil interests in the OPEC member, supports the Tripoli government of al-Serraj and was furious with French reluctance to back a recent European Union resolution urging Haftar to halt his advance.
The conflict threatens to disrupt oil flows, foment migration across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, and allow armed groups to exploit the chaos.
Haftar enjoys the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, who view him as an anchor to restore stability and combat armed groups.
His force seized earlier this year the south and its two oilfields, although tribesmen with flexible loyalties remain strong in the sparsely populated desert region.
On the weekend, the LNA dispatched a unit to the eastern oil ports of Ras Lanuf and Es Sider to prepare for a possible attack there.
Source: Alljazeera
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