Debris is seen at a shrine inside the Sahaba Mosque after an explosion, in Derna early May 8, 2014. (Photo: Reuters)

Algiers (People's Daily) - With air strikes, shelling of residential areas and heavy ground clashes, fighting in the Libyan city Derna has reached new levels of intensity, according to a report released by the United Nations humanitarian office on Thursday.

The status quo of Derna (Photo: AFP)

It is reported that since July of 2017, water and electricity have been completely cut off, and about 125,000 residents encircled by the Libyan National Army (LNA) have suffered a severe shortage of water, food, and medicine.

Derna is located 1,000 kilometers east of the capital Tripoli. It is controlled by the Islamic militia alliance Derna Mujahidin Shura Council, which has links with al-Qaeda. Derna is the last Islamic stronghold in the east of the country out of LNA control, and the LNA commander Khalifa Haftar seeks to regain control of the city.