| BBC News | - |
Explosions have been heard at a weapons depot in southern Libya with reports of casualties, according to Libyan media.
Libya: Blast at Brak al-Shati arms depot kills 10
At least 10 people have been killed in a blast at a weapons depot in southern Libya, officials say.
State television quoted an injured man as saying people had
been attempting to steal copper wire from the depot in Brak al-Shati,
near the city of Sabha.An army general and other officials put the death toll at 10, although one report had the figure as high as 30.
Meanwhile, at least three soldiers have reportedly been killed in clashes with an armed group in Benghazi.
The army's special forces commander in Benghazi, Wanis Abu-Khamada, said the fighting had broken out after four people were arrested at a checkpoint manned by naval officers when "a vehicle search found weapons and money".
As naval officers clashed with members of the Salafist militia group Ansar al-Sharia, three officers were killed and six others were injured, he said.
The government has struggled to contain militias in control of parts of Libya, and clashes between the army and militias in the restive eastern city of Benghazi are not uncommon.
The militias took part in the uprising that led to the fall of Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 but have been told by the interim government to disband or join the army by the end of the year.
Few details have yet been confirmed about the blast at the weapons depot in Brak al-Shati, some 650km (400 miles) south of Tripoli.
General Mohamed al-Dhabi told AFP news agency that "a group of unknown people tried to attack the depot, causing this unfortunate incident".
He said 10 people had died and 15 people had been injured.
The privately-owned Libyan news agency al-Tadamun said more than 30 people had been killed after a fire broke out as people were trying to rob the ammunitions depot.
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