Tripoli: Libya's defence minister has resigned, calling a siege of government ministries by armed groups an "assault" on democracy.
The resignation of Mohammed Mahmoud al-Bargati comes as gunmen in Libya's capital Tripoli kept up their siege of ministries on Tuesday despite parliament's adoption of a law to purge Gaddafi-era officials from their posts, which was supposed to appease the protestors.
Some are demanding the government's resignation.
"I will never be able to accept that politics [can] be practiced by the power of weapons ... This is an assault against the democracy I have sworn to protect," Bargati said.