Tripoli: Libyan interior ministry forces have taken control of the key Ras Jdir border crossing with Tunisia from former rebels who toppled Muammar Gaddafi, a top official said on Monday.

"Today, I can announce that the control of Ras Jdir has been taken over by forces of the ministry of interior," interim interior minister Fawzi Abdelali told reporters. He said taking control of the crossing was a "priority" for Libya as it is "displaying the law of the state." The crossing, 180 kilometres west of Tripoli, was closed last week after Tunisian guards stopped work, complaining of lack of protection against armed and unarmed fighters deployed on the Libyan side.

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On Friday, Tunisia also closed a second border post in Dehiba after allegations of attacks on Tunisians inside Libya, and Tunis Air flights to Libya have also been cancelled since last week.

Tension at the border between Tunis and Tripoli erupted after a Libyan rebel reportedly shot and wounded a Tunisian customs official as he forced his way across the Ras Jdir crossing.

Voicing "deep concern," Tunis called on Tripoli to manage its side of the border with professional forces. The handover at Ras Jdir was "through negotiation. No use of force was carried out against anyone," Abdelali said, adding that the former rebels had acted responsibly and kept order at the frontier.

PTI