Libyan health ministry officials say clashes broke out between rival militias in Tripoli, killing at least 23 civilians and injuring 140 others.
Libyan health ministry officials say clashes broke out between rival militias in Tripoli, killing at least 23 civilians and injuring 140 others.
Deadly clashes erupted in the Libyan capital on Saturday between militias backed by its two rival administrations, marking a return to violence amid a long political standoff.
The health ministry said at least 23 people were killed and 140 others were injured. It said 64 families were evacuated from the areas around the battle.
The escalation has threatened a relative calm in Libya over the past two years. The oil-rich nation fell into chaos following a NATO-backed insurgency that toppled and killed long-time autocrat Moammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Among those killed was Mustafa Baraka, a comedian known for his social media videos mocking militias and corruption. Emergency services spokesman Malek Mersett said Baraka died of a bullet injury in the chest.
Mersett said emergency services were still trying to evacuate the injured and civilians, which lasted through the night and continued through Saturday evening.
Hospitals and medical centers in the capital were shelled, and ambulance teams were stopped from evacuating civilians, which “amount to war crimes”, the health ministry said in a statement.
Tripoli’s city council blamed the ruling political class for the deteriorating situation in the capital, and urged the international community to “protect civilians in Libya”.
The violence caused widespread panic among the residents of Tripoli. Footage circulated online showed homes, government facilities and vehicles damaged by the fighting. Other footage showed militia forces being deployed and heavy exchange of fire in the night sky.
The UN mission in Libya said the fighting involved “indiscriminate medium and heavy shelling on civilian populated areas” of Tripoli.
The mission called for an immediate ceasefire, and for all parties in Libya to “abstain from any form of hate speech and incitement to violence”.
According to local media, the Brigade militia of Tripoli revolutionaries led by Haitham Tajouri fought against another militia allied with Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, known as “Gheniva”. Later on Saturday, more militias joined the fight, which spread to different areas of the capital.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dabiba’s government based in Tripoli claimed that the conflict occurred when one militia opened fire on another.
The fight, however, is highly likely part of an ongoing power struggle between Dabiba and his rival Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha, who is operating off the coast of Sirte.
Both Dabiba and Bashagha are backed by militias, and the latter have been trying to enter Tripoli in recent weeks to oust their rival.
A conflict erupted in Basha’s attempt to establish his government in Tripoli in May that ended with his return from the capital.
US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland urged “before things get bad” and for Libyan parties to agree on an early date for the election.