North Korea to slash medical workers in southern Libya

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) decided to reduce its medical workers in southern Libya's Wadi Al-Shat area, Libyan official news agency LANA reported on Tuesday.

Hassan Khalifa, head of health bureau in the area's municipality, said that they have been contacted by the DPRK embassy in Libya about reducing the country's medical staff working in the medical centers due to escalating violence.

Khalifa added that some security measures have been adopted, including residing all medical staff together for safety reasons.

There are currently 25 DPRK medical workers in the area.

Foreign workers in Libya have been targeted numerously by armed extremist groups. The continuous tribal clashes in southern Libya worsen the security situation.

Libya has been suffering a security vacuum since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country is plagued with escalating violence with many armed groups fighting for dominance.