CAIRO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League condemned on Wednesday the airstrikes on a migrant detention center in Libya's Tripoli that left 40 people killed and more than 100 wounded.

In a statement, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, stressed the importance of protecting the civilians from the ongoing military actions surrounding the Libyan capital, preserving the safety of civil institutions and the substructure.

He demanded "an immediate halt for the field escalation, and military operations," urging the conflicting parties to return back to the political path that leads to a comprehensive settlement for the Libyan crisis.

The UN's mission in Libya has said around 3,500 migrants and refugees held in detention centers near the combat zone are at risk.

Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.

The oil-rich country has since then seen the emergence of two rival seats of power, one in eastern Libya, where the army is led by Khalifa Haftar, and the Tripoli-based UN-recognized government.

The army has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over Tripoli from the UN-backed government.

According to the World Health Organization, the fighting so far has killed 739 people and injured 4,407 others, including civilians.