Tripoli’s St James Hospital closes its doors indefinitely

The chief executive of the St James Hospital group, Josie Muscat, has confirmed that his clinic in the Libyan capital of Tripoli has shuttered its operations, indefinitely, due to the worsening situation in the North African country.

"We were told by the government to cease operations. It's a right hodge-podge: we wanted to expend in this country and now we will have to make good for the loans we took," Dr Muscat told MaltaToday.

The hospital had just one Maltese staff member remaining in Tripoli.

MaltaToday has been unable to verify tweets from Libyan observers who claim the hospital was closed down because female nurses were not wearing the veil - a suggestion that the wave of Islamic fundamentalism that took hold of Derna and now Sirte, was edging closer to Tripoli.

The Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli, which two weeks ago suffered a terrorist attack by suicide bombers claimed to belong to the Islamic State, remains closed.

The General National Congress in Tripoliu today agreed to form a joint military force and send it to Sirte to recapture government institutions which have been taken by gunmen loyal to ISIS. On Thursday, ISIS affiliates in Sirte took control of the city's local radio station, Makdimas FM Radio, Ouagadougou Conference Halls, Ibn Sina Hospital and the Passport Authority building.

Speaker of GNC Nuri Abu Sahmain held an urgent meeting today with key state officials including Chief of Staff and Chief of Intelligence to discuss the latest developments in Sirte, in addition to the kidnapping of some Egyptian Copts in that region.

A statement, issued following the meeting, said an operation military room will be also set up to follow up security and military situations in the city.

The GNC, led by Omar al Hassi, is not recognised by the international community as the legitimate government of Libya.