A security official in Libya said gunmen have attacked the port of the restive eastern city of Benghazi, firing wildly with small arms into the area for hours, the Associated Press reported.

The official said security forces and citizens blocked the city's surrounding roads after the Saturday, June 21 attack, which left six people wounded.

He added that the attack is believed to be a reprisal by Islamist militiamen targeted by the forces of renegade Libyan Gen. Khalifa Hifter.

Hifter forces have been shelling boats smuggling weapons to the militia, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters, according to the AP.

Benghazi, the birthplace of the 2011 revolt that led to the overthrow and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, has plunged into unrest and violence since then.