France evacuates diplomatic staff, expats from Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya, July 31 (UPI) -- France announced Wednesday it has temporarily closed its embassy in Libya due to the deteriorating security situation.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted Wednesday "Given the security situation, our embassy in Tripoli is temporarily closed. Diplomatic activities are being conducted in Paris." The MFA also noted that, "Working with the [Ministry of Defense], we took the necessary measures to allow French nationals still in Libya to temporarily and safely leave the country."

The Ministry of Defense, in coordination with the U.S., conducted an overnight operation Tuesday evening into Wednesday utilizing two frigates that had been pre-positioned near the Port of Tripoli. A total of 47 people were evacuated, most of whom were French nationals.

The U.S. embassy in Tripoli evacuated on Saturday, driving its approximate 150 embassy personnel overland to Tunisia for onward relocation to Europe.