Disturbances rocking Libya have killed 300 people — 189 civilians and 111 soldiers, according to the first official figures released by Moamer Kadhafi's regime since unrest broke out a week ago.
The largest number of fatalities were said to have been in second city Benghazi, which is located in the east of the country and is where most of the violence has occurred, an interior ministry spokesman said.
In Benghazi, 104 civilians and 10 soldiers were killed.
Earlier, figures provided at the venue of a press conference that was slated to be given by Kadhafi's son, Seif al-Islam, said 300 people had died, but put the military casualty figure at only 58.
Although government restrictions have complicated the task of compiling a tally, human rights watch has said 233 had been killed in the uprising while the International Federation for Human Rights put the toll at between 300 and 400.