Libya's armed forces announced on Sunday that they had dislodged a militia from a military complex on the highway leading to Tripoli International Airport.

Commander in chief Yussef al-Mangush said on his Facebook page that members of the militia were arrested and that their weapons were confiscated. The sound of gunfire was heard in the area at 9 am (0700 GMT) and lasted less than a minute, an AFP journalist said. Mangush made no mention of any casualties.

The move comes a day after the Libyan authorities announced the decision to dissolve all militias that do not come under state authority and set a 48-hour deadline for armed groups to evacuate strategic property in Tripoli.

Hundreds of former rebels have taken over state-owned military and civilian facilities as well as the properties of supporters and relatives of Moamer Kadhafi in the wake of his fall and death in last year's revolution.