Libyan rebels threaten to declare independence over rival parliament

BENGHAZI Libya (Reuters) - Libyan rebels who have seized oil ports in the past to press their demand for regional autonomy said on Friday they would declare independence in the east if the world recognized a rival parliament, heightening tensions in the major oil producer.

The actions of rebel leader Ibrahim Jathran are closely watched by oil markets. He and his followers once seized four major oil ports in eastern Libya, accounting for 600,000 barrels of oil, and held them for almost a year.

Jathran signed a deal with the government in April to reopen the oil ports and toned down his rhetoric. But now he has ramped it up considerably - he is not known to have threatened to break Libya up into separate states

Libya is already effectively divided and turning into a security nightmare for its Arab neighbors and Western powers. Armed groups and Islamist militants who helped toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 are fighting for power and a share of oil revenue.