However, Al Jazeera, reports that the envoy, Christopher Stevens, died from smoke inhalation in the attack on the US consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

The Telegraph, UK, also confirms that it was an armed mob that attacked and set fire to the building in a protest against an amateur film deemed offensive to Islam's Prophet Muhammad, after similar protests in Egypt's capital.

Al Jazeera says that the ambassador was paying a short visit to Benghazi when the consulate came under attack on Tuesday night.