Royal Navy ship 'preparing to evacuate British citizens from Libya' as fighting for control of Tripoli's airport kills 22

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Sentinel: HMS Enterprise is believed to be headed to war-torn Tripoli to rescue British embassy staff

The Royal Navy is reported to be preparing to evacuate Britons from Libya amid escalating violence in the north African state.

Sky News reported that the survey ship HMS Enterprise is heading for the port of Tripoli and is expected to moor offshore today.

A launch protected by armed Royal Marines is expected to be sent into the port to pick up British citizens and carry them to safety on board the Plymouth-based Enterprise, which is thought to have been diverted from duties in the Mediterranean to help the rescue effort.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) declined to comment on the reports, although the Royal Navy page for the ship states it is currently in the Mediterranean for survey operations.

An MoD spokesman said: 'As the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) has made clear, the UK Government will provide assisted departure for a number of UK nationals before suspending consular operations on Monday.

'For operational reasons we will not discuss further details including whether, and in what ways, the MoD could support these efforts.'

Between 100 and 300 Britons are believed to be in Libya, where fighting between rival militias has forced the UK to shut down its embassy.

Many of the consular staff were evacuated last Monday but the ambassador and core staff remained, although they will now also return to the UK.

The precarious situation in Libya was laid bare last week when a British Embassy convoy in Libya came under fire.

Embassy staff escaped unscathed from the attack which occurred on Sunday between Tripoli and Zawiya, a city in northwestern Libya.

 

Michael Aron, the UK's ambassador to Libya, wrote on Twitter: 'There was an attempted carjacking on a British Embassy convoy this morning. Shots were fired at our vehicles but all staff safe.'

The evacuation comes as 22 people died in a day of militia fighting for control of the international airport in the capital, a spokesman for Libya's interim government said.

In a statement early today, it said 'heavily armed groups' have shelled 'civilian targets' endangering thousands of citizens and leaving hundreds of families displaced.

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A fighter from Zintan brigade watches as smoke rises after rockets fired by one of Libya's militias struck and ignited a fuel tank in Tripoli yesterday. 22 people have died in a single day of fighting 

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Flames from the fuel depot light the night sky. In the last few days, sporadic fighting between rival militias has spread northwards in capital Tripoli, including into the area where the British embassy is situated

Islamist militias from the coastal city of Misrata led the assault on airport, seeking to seize it from militias from the mountain town of Zintan.

The 22 people were killed yesterday alone, the latest casualties in fighting that has claimed more than 200 lives in recent weeks.

Since the overthrow in 2011 of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi by rebels supported by British and French air strikes, the north African country has descended into a state of lawlessness as rival militias struggle for power and wealth.

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Escape: Chinese evacuees from Libya arrive at Piraeus port  in Athens, Greece

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Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zou Xiaoli (in suit) welcomes his countrymen ashore

In the last few days, sporadic fighting between rival militias has spread northwards in Tripoli, including into the area where the British embassy is situated.

Tourists have been advised against all travel to the country and the Foreign Office said an assisted departure was being prepared.

Any Britons unable to take advantage of this opportunity to leave have been told they should find their way home on commercial flights, with limited departures from Misrata and Maitega airports.

HMS ENTERPRISE 

HMS Enterprise was launched at Appledore in Devon in 2002 and is designed to carry out a wide range of survey work, including support to submarine and amphibious operations.

Since her first operational overseas deployment to the Mediterranean in late 2004, Enterprise has worked in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin, through West Africa to the Republic of South Africa, and off Iraq.

She is the second Royal Navy ship to use azimuth thrusters, where the propellers are part of a swivelling pod, allowing for precise manoeuvring.

The ship is headed by Cdr Derek Rae, who joined the Royal Navy in 1994. 

On Wednesday, British Airways suspended flights to and from Tripoli up to and including Tuesday due to the security situation at the country's main international airport.

An FCO spokesman added: 'Fighting has intensified in Tripoli, including around the British Embassy compounds.

'In the light of the deteriorating security situation, we are taking steps temporarily to suspend operations at the British Embassy in Tripoli after the planned assisted departure of British nationals.

'The UK Government has changed its travel advice to reflect the ongoing security situation.

'We advise against all travel to Libya and urge British nationals in Libya to leave through commercially available means.

'The British Embassy is arranging an assisted departure for British nationals. Places are limited and requests for travel will be strictly prioritised.

'We plan temporarily to suspend operations at the British Embassy following the assisted departure. We will not be able to offer consular assistance after August 4.'

On September 11 2012 U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans - information management officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods - were killed in a six-hour, commando-style attack on the U.S. Mission in the Libyan city, for which Al Qaeda in North Africa and Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia were implicated.