The Islamist-led coalition of militias Dawn of Libya has taken control of the US embassy compound in Libya.

The armed group announced that it had seized the compound on 1 September saying it had secured the unit to protect it from looters.

Videos posted on social media show militiamen standing around the compound’s swimming pool while some dive in from a balcony.

In late August, the Dawn of Libya group took control of Tripoli International airport in a decisive battle, defeating rival militias from the mountain town of Zintan and making its forces the dominant military force in Libya’s capital.

The US embassy evacuated its staff to Tunisia by road on 26 July.