An Egyptian was shot dead Friday night on the Libyan-Tunisian border at Ras Jdeir as he and over 1,000 compatriots were attempting to cross to Tunisia, state-owned news agency MENA reported.

The man was killed as Libyan guards fired to stop the unauthorised crossing attempt.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians have fled Libya after the security situation there worsened significantly starting mid-July, as rival militias battle for control.

Tunisia has refused to let in people who were neither Libyan nor Tunisian, unless they could prove they would be immediately repatriated and were only transiting the country.

Last week, Egypt's civil aviation minister announced that flights between Egypt and Tunisia carrying Egyptians fleeing Libya concluded on Sunday.

The International Organisation for Migration estimates that 330,000 to 1.5 million Egyptians worked in Libya until the country became wracked with chaos, which began after the NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The number of Egyptian expats decreased since, although it is not clear how many Egyptians remain in the country.