TRIPOLI, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The UN envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, reiterated Thursday the importance of protecting civilians, as the violent clashes between the UN-backed government and the east-based army continued in the capital of Tripoli.

A fighter from forces of the UN-backed Libyan government prepares for the attacks during clashes with the east-based army in Salahuddin, Tripoli, Libya, on May 2, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)

"On his way back to Tripoli yesterday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Ghassan Salame was stopped by a peaceful protest in Sabratha and met with representatives of the protesters where he listened to their concerns and demands regarding the protection of civilians," the UN Support Mission in Libya said in a statement.

"The SRSG stressed that the protection of civilians is the UN's utmost priority," the statement added.

Local media on Wednesday published a video footage of dozens of protesters in Sabratha, some 70 km west of Tripoli, blocking the UN envoy's convoy.

The east-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over Tripoli where the UN-backed government is based.

The fighting has so far killed more than 370 people and displaced more than 42,000 others, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.