CAIRO: Clashes between two heavily armed militia groups in Libya's capital have left about 12 people dead and terrified, officials said Saturday, the latest violence in the lawless north African country.
The hours-long clash, involving heavy weapons, broke out Friday in the Tajoura neighborhood in eastern Tripoli between the Rahba Al-Duruae militia, led by warlord Bashir Khalfallah, also known as Al-Baqrah, and another militant group, Al-Shahida Sabriya, the official added.
At least nine people were killed and 16 injured in the hours-long clash, according to the Ministry of Health's emergency services and ambulance service.
The clashes were sparked by an assassination attempt on Friday against al-Baqarah, which his armed forces blamed on al-Shahid Sabriyya, local media reported.
Khalid al-Meshri, the newly elected head of the Western-based Supreme Council, condemned the assassination attempt and called for an investigation to bring those responsible to justice.
The warring parties are allied with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah's government. A spokesman for that faction did not respond to a request for comment.
On Saturday, the United Nations mission in Libya expressed regret over the clashes, the use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas and the buildup of troops in and around the capital.
“This clash is a stark reminder of the need to unify the military and security agencies to build legitimate and accountable institutions,” the statement said. “It also underscores the urgent need to accelerate an inclusive political process leading to credible elections.”
The violence underscores the fragility of Libya, which has been battered by war since a 2011 uprising that turned into a civil war that toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Amid the chaos, armed groups have grown wealth and power, particularly in Tripoli and the country's west.
Libya has been divided for years between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by foreign armed groups and governments. Libya is currently ruled by Dbeibah in Tripoli and by Prime Minister Osama Hamad in the east.
Western Libya is controlled by outlawed militias allied to Dbeibah's government, while the forces of powerful military commander Khalifa Haftar control areas in the east and south of the country.
Friday's intra-armed clashes were the latest in a series of clashes between competing factions for influence in the country's west.
In May, armed forces clashed in the coastal town of Zawiya, trapping families in their homes, leaving at least one person dead and 22 wounded. And in August last year, a 24-hour battle between rival armed groups in Tripoli left at least 45 people dead.
The clashes in the capital came as Haftar's forces said they were sending troops to the southwestern region to secure Libya's southern border. The move has seen armed forces in western Libya mobilise amid growing concerns of a possible new war between eastern and western Libya.
The United Nations and Western embassies in Libya have expressed concern that the military move could escalate into a full-scale war between Haftar's forces and Western-based militias, four years after a ceasefire ended a 14-month war between the two sides.
“Such a move risks escalation and violent confrontation and could jeopardize the 2020 ceasefire agreement,” the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States said in a joint statement.
