Unidentified gunmen kill six soldiers near Libyan city of Sirte

At least six Libyan soldiers have been killed after unidentified gunmen attacked a military checkpoint near the coastal city of Sirte in the African country, military sources say.

The military said in a statement that the soldiers were killed when heavily-armed gunmen attacked the checkpoint in south of Sirte on Tuesday.

Military officials said they have cordoned off the area after the blast, and launched an investigation into the incident.

Local residents are complaining about the deteriorating security condition in the troubled region.

“No one, only God, is taking care of the city – no army, no security,” said one disgruntled citizen in Sirte.

No group or person has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks.

Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city, has also seen a wave of violence in recent weeks. Several police stations have been bombed in the eastern city in recent weeks.

This is while several ministries have also been surrounded by hundreds of armed men in the capital city of Tripoli since late April. The armed men demand that the ministries ban the remnants of the former regime of Muammar Gaddafi from holding key posts and hire those who had helped topple the long-time dictator.

Libyans rose up against Gaddafi’s four-decade-long rule in February 2011 and deposed him in August 2011. The ruler was killed on October 20 of the same year.