Tripoli, Nov 30 (IANS/AKI): The United Nations mission to Libya is continuing to receive reports of armed groups carrying out targeted killings in Tripoli, a "completely unacceptable" phenomenon that has escalated in recent weeks, UNSMIL said in a statement late on Thursday.

"UNSMIL continues to receive reports of armed groups carrying out extrajudicial killings in Tripoli, a phenomenon that has been on the rise over the past few weeks," said the statement.

"The Mission affirms that allegations of offences and personal disputes should be judged in a court of law, not by gunmen on the streets," the statement said.

UNSMIL urged Tripoli's authorities to immediately take the necessary measures to protect Libyans from targeted killings and to "send a strong message that these acts are completely unacceptable," according to the statement.

Authorities in the Libyan capital must "back these messages with objective investigations to identify and hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable," the statement added.

"Extrajudicial executions are not only acts of extreme cruelty, violating the laws of this country; they also violate international human rights and humanitarian laws. Those responsible for committing or ordering extrajudicial killings are criminally liable under international law," the statement concluded.

Libya has been in turmoil since the Nato-backed ouster of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 with rival governments in the east and west of the country supported by a myriad of armed groups.