Smoke fumes rise above buildings in the Libyan capital Tripoli, during reported shelling by strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces, on May 9, 2020 (AFP)

TRIPOLI/TUNIS- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Friday condemned the indiscriminate shelling on the center of the capital Tripoli, which killed at least two policemen and four civilians on Thursday.

"UNSMIL is deeply alarmed by the intensification of indiscriminate attacks at a moment when Libyans deserve to peacefully observe the holy month of Ramadan and a time when they are battling the COVID-19 pandemic," UNSMIL said.

UNSMIL reiterated that those guilty of crimes under international law will be held to account.

The shelling happened at the time of Iftar, the evening meal for breaking fasting during Ramadan, and ambulances could not reach them on time, said Amin Hashemi, information advisor of the Ministry of Health

The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) of Khalifa Haftar exchanged accusations for the deadly shelling.

For more than a year, the east-based army has been fighting with the UN-backed government in an attempt to seize the control of Tripoli. Many civilians have been killed and injured and more than 150,000 others displaced as a result.  

The shelling happened at the time of Iftar, the evening meal for breaking fasting during Ramadan, and ambulances could not reach them on time, said Amin Hashemi, information advisor of the Ministry of Health.

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The UN-backed government's forces accused the rival east-based army of the shelling, to which the army has not responded yet.

Shells also landed near the Turkish and Italian embassies in central Tripoli. 

The Turkish ambassador told Reuters in a message that a Grad missile had struck the High Court building next to the embassy and another landed by the Foreign Ministry.

Italy's Foreign Ministry said on Twitter the area near around the Italian ambassador's residence was hit, causing at least two deaths. "Italy strongly condemns yet another attack by Haftar forces," it said.

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The EU, in a statement, condemned what it called "the latest in a series of shellings and indiscriminate attacks against civilians attributable to Haftar's forces".

Shells also landed around the city's port, where the United Nations migration agency had to abort an operation to disembark migrants who had been rescued at sea.

The LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari late on Friday denied that it had targeted embassies, accusing pro-GNA forces of shelling areas they hold in order to incite opinion against the LNA.