The attack took place at the Saddada checkpoint east of the volatile city on Sunday.

Misrata is a power base for the Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militia, who took over the capital, Tripoli, in the summer last year and set up their own self-declared government and parliament.

Libya has two rival governments vying for control of the country, with one faction controlling Tripoli, and the other, Libya’s internationally recognized government, governing the cities of Bayda and Tobruk.

Also on Sunday, warplanes from the internationally recognized government carried out as series of air raids on Tripoli’s outskirts, targeting Libya Dawn positions. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The presence of Takfiri ISIL terrorists in Libya has further complicated the situation in the violence-wracked North African country.

Libya plunged into chaos after the ouster of longtime dictator, Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, which gave rise to a patchwork of heavily-armed militias and deep political divisions.