National assembly members have called for the sacking of Libya's defence and interior ministers over the security situation in the country, a member told AFP.

"There have been demands for the dismissal of the defence and interior ministers but the assembly has called for them to be summoned first to hear them. This should happen later today or tomorrow," he said, asking not to be named.

He said Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Kib was also being summoned.

On Thursday, the national assembly, which was elected in July, met in closed session to discuss security problems across the country, with Interior Minister Fawzi Abdelali reportedly coming in for heavy criticism.

The session followed a double car bombing in Tripoli on August 19 that killed two people. Tribal clashes in the western region of Zliten have since left at least two dead and several wounded.

The assembly's speaker, Mohamed al-Megarief, who was to give a speech later on Saturday, said he tried in vain to contact Abdelali but that the interior minister's mobile phone was "switched off."

Rumours have been circulating in Tripoli for days that Abdelali and Defence Minister Osama Juili could both face the sack.