Ten Libyan cities which were under control of the non-recognised government of Tripoli have broken away and pledged their support to the UN-backed government, one of the municipalities announced online Thursday.

The news is a major blow to the unrecognised authority in Tripoli that is refusing to give up power.

The announcement came in a statement on the official Facebook page of the Sabratha municipality, 70 kilometres west of Tripoli, after a meeting for the heads and representatives of the 10 coastal cities in the west of Libya, located between Tripoli and the border with Tunisia.

Source: AFP