Two new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Libya, authorities said on Saturday, after the first was detected earlier this week, with international aid agencies warning of a disaster if it spreads.

A fighter of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) fires at Libyan National Army (LNA) during clashes in Ain-Zara frontline in Tripoli, Libya, on March 13. Photo: Xinhua

Battles erupted this week on several fronts in a new escalation after months of suspected imports of weapons and foreign fighters in breach of an arms embargo, and on Saturday one side said a senior commander had been killed.

The two cases were discovered in Tripoli and Misrata, the National Centre for Disease Control said, without giving any further details. The first, confirmed on Monday, was a man who had recently returned to Libya from overseas.

Libya has been in turmoil since the toppling of strongman Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and is split between two warring administrations. The conflict has wrecked the economy, fuelled migrant smuggling and militancy, and disrupted oil supplies.

The current conflict began nearly a year ago when the Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar launched an assault to capture the capital Tripoli, seat of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord. The UN has called for a humanitarian cease-fire.