Authorities in Libya say more than 1,000 inmates escaped from a prison as protesters stormed political party offices across the country.
The protests were the latest sign of unrest gripping a country overrun by militias and awash in weaponry.
It wasn't immediately clear if the jailbreak from the Al-Kweifiya prison near Benghazi was tied to the demonstrations.
Demonstrators massed across Libya on July 27 to protest the killing of an activist who was critical of Islamists in Libya's Muslim Brotherhood.
Security officials say inmates at the prison started to riot and set fires in the facility after guards opened fire on three detainees who were trying to escape.
Gunmen quickly arrived outside the prison after news of the riot spread, opening fire with rifles to help free imprisoned relatives.
The protests were the latest sign of unrest gripping a country overrun by militias and awash in weaponry.
It wasn't immediately clear if the jailbreak from the Al-Kweifiya prison near Benghazi was tied to the demonstrations.
Demonstrators massed across Libya on July 27 to protest the killing of an activist who was critical of Islamists in Libya's Muslim Brotherhood.
Security officials say inmates at the prison started to riot and set fires in the facility after guards opened fire on three detainees who were trying to escape.
Gunmen quickly arrived outside the prison after news of the riot spread, opening fire with rifles to help free imprisoned relatives.
