Clashes between rival militias in Libya’s national capital killed at least 45 people and injured 146 as residents were trapped in their homes on Tuesday. According to medical authorities, those killed in the brutality were not able to escape the violence. The fighting appears to be the most intense to shake Tripoli this year.
Notably, the clashes erupted late on Monday between militiamen from the 444 brigade and the Special Deterrence Force, according to local media. Tensions flared after Mahmoud Hamza, a senior commander of the 444 brigades, was allegedly detained by the rival group at an airport in Tripoli earlier in the day, the reports said. It is unclear how many of the dead were militiamen or civilians.
What happened?
The escalation follows months of relative peace after nearly a decade of civil war in Libya, where two rival sets of authorities are locked in a political stalemate. Longstanding divisions have sparked several incidents of violence in Tripoli in recent years, although most have been over in a matter of hours.
In a statement Tuesday, the U.N. mission in Libya said it was following with concern “the security incidents and developments” and called for an immediate end to the ongoing clashes.
The oil-rich country has been divided since 2014 between rival administrations in the east and the west, each supported by an array of well-armed militias and different foreign governments. The North African nation has been in a state of upheaval since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
(With inputs from agency)
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