LIBYA’S General National Congress (GNC) reconvened on Monday and nominated Islamist university professor Omar al-Hassi to form a rival government to the elected parliament sitting in Tobruk.

The Islamist-led body voted unanimously to appoint a new “national salvation government.”

It leaves Libya with two rival governments.

And on the streets, rival militias are also feuding.

The Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) coalition was behind the reconvening of the GNC, but the Islamist group spurned a call by Benghazi-based Ansar al-Sharia to join it.

“Proclaim that your struggle is for sharia and not democratic legitimacy,” Ansar al-Sharia had urged Fajr Libya.

Its response yesterday was to the point: “Fajr Libya announces its rejection of terrorism and extremism.”

It “extends a hand to everyone who wants to rebuild Libya, respecting democracy and constitutional legality.”

But the elected parliament has branded both Islamist groups as terrorist organisations and said it will use the army against them.

The situation is further complicated by the existence of a militia gathered around renegade General Khalifa Haftar, which is fighting both Islamist groups but answers to neither GNC nor elected parliament.

Meanwhile, the US declared that mystery air strikes against Islamist targets in Tripoli had been carried out by United Arab Emirates warplanes.

US officials said that UAE jets launched two attacks in seven days from bases in Egypt.

Neither the UAE nor Egypt has publicly acknowledged any role in the strikes.