India removes 15 CRPF personnels planted in Tripoli as situations worsens

India has evacuated its entire contingent of 15 CRPF personnel from Tripoli after the situation "suddenly worsened" in Libya, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Sunday. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) contingent was deployed as peace keeping force in Tripoli.

"The situation in Libya has suddenly worsened. There is fighting in Tripoli. Indian Embassy in Tunisia @IndiainTunisia has evacuated the entire contingent of 15 CRPF personnel yesterday itself," Swaraj tweeted. "I appreciate the excellent work by Indian Embassy in Tunisia," she said.

The Indian Ambassador in Tunisia has the concurrent charge of Libya. "All Indians in distress in Tripoli may please contact Mr.Mehtab on +218916320278 or Mr.Mustafa on +218924201771 or +218912146640," the minister said.

The military conflict in Libya escalated after forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar launched an air strike Sunday in an area in Tripoli and the government vowed a major counteroffensive. The United Nations has called for an two-hour truce to allow evacuations of civilians and the wounded.

Rivalries between Haftar and the government threaten to plunge the country into a civil war.

(With inputs from agencies.)