The Takfiri Daesh terrorists in Libya have claimed responsibility for an attack on the Mitiga Airport east of the capital, Tripoli, which killed three members of Libyan security forces.

Daesh claimed the assault through a message posted on Twitter Friday after a Mitiga Airport official said an armed group had carried out "an attack this morning on the prison located on the Mitiga air base to try to free the detainees."

In the Twitter post, Daesh stated that the assault was carried out for the release of prisoners affiliated with the group.

In addition to the security personnel, eight militants were killed in the incident.

"First there was an explosion... and then a clash with automatic weapons," the official said.

All flights in the only functioning airport in the country are taking place without any change despite the attack.

In July 2014, all civilian flights were moved to the Mitiga Airport, located eight kilometers (five miles) east of the capital, after the Tripoli International Airport was severely damaged due to fighting.

The ouster of Libya's dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 gave rise to a patchwork of heavily-armed militias and deep political divisions.

The presence of Daesh and its affiliated militants has further complicated the situation in the violence-wracked country.

Daesh has exploited the persisting security vacuum in the oil-rich country to set up and maintain a base in the eastern city of Derna, from where they seek to expand their influence in the region.