Smoke billows from Libya's parliament compound amid reports that heavily armed gunmen stormed into the building Sunday.
Gunfire is heard in the capital city and an official tells Reuters that men had descended on the General National Congress, raiding lawmakers' offices and setting the building on fire.
One resident said the attackers later left the site and that armed locals are now protecting the area.
Libya's parliament has been paralyzed by divisions between Islamist parties and more nationalist rivals. Many Libyans blame the congress for their failure to move toward a democratic transition since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
