At least 4 killed due to shelling in Libyan capital Tripoli

At least four people have been killed in heavy shelling in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

Nearly two weeks into the assault to seize the city, Khalifa Haftar's eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) is stuck in the city's southern outskirts battling armed groups loyal to the UN-recognised Tripoli government.

But the southern district of Abu Salim got shelled late on Tuesday with explosions heard even in the city centre where life had been going on largely untouched by the violence in Libya.

The district is located near the road to the old airport in southern Tripoli, which has changed hands several times since the fighting started.

Abu Salim lies north of forces loyal to the Tripoli government seeking to stop the LNA troops coming from the south.

Both sides blamed each other for the attack.

Haftar and his eastern Libyan forces have cast their advance as part of a campaign to restore order and defeat jihadists in a nation gripped by anarchy since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

But the internationally-recognized Tripoli government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj - which has kept him at bay in the southern suburbs - views the 75-year-old general as a dangerous would-be dictator in the Gaffafi mould.

The United Nations’ humanitarian agency the OCHA said thousands of civilians were trapped in southern districts of Tripoli due to the fighting.

As the rockets fell on Tuesday, UN Security Council diplomats began negotiations on a British-drafted resolution that would demand an immediate ceasefire in Libya.

The proposed text, seen by AFP news agency, warns that the offensive by Haftar's LNA "threatens the stability of Libya and prospects for a United Nations-facilitated political dialogue and a comprehensive political solution to the crisis".

The council "demands that all parties in Libya immediately de-escalate the situation, commit to a ceasefire, and engage with the United Nations to ensure a full and comprehensive cessation of hostilities throughout Libya", the draft says.