TUNIS, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi reiterated on Wednesday the need to avoid military escalation in Libya during his meeting with visiting Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteeq in Tunis.
According to a presidency statement, Essebsi discussed with Maiteeq the efforts to end military operations and give way to dialogue and negotiations in order to relaunch the political process among conflicting Libyan factions.
"The solution must be only political and remain in the hands of the Libyans themselves under the aegis of the UN," read the statement.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, 174 people have been killed and 756 others wounded in the recent fighting between the UN-backed Libyan government and the east-based army in and around the capital Tripoli.
