Gunbattles rock Libya capital after brief lull
TRIPOLI: Fresh gunbattles have erupted in the Libyan capital between two powerful armed groups, a security official said Wednesday, just a day after authorities declared the fighting over. Clashes flared between the Radaa force and the 444 Brigade in key areas of the city, including the port, the source said. No official casualty figures have been released for the latest fight yet, but the Libyan Red Crescent said it recovered a dead body from a major street in Tripoli.
The official described the fighting as "urban warfare", with intermittent clashes in residential areas involving light and medium weapons. In other areas, heavy weapons were being used. Libya has struggled to recover from years of unrest since the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Ghaddafi.
The country remains split between a UN-recognized government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east, controlled by the Haftar family. Fighting extended in southern and western Tripoli as Radaa and "groups supporting it came as reinforcements against the 444 Brigade", the interior ministry source said. On Monday night, heavy arms fire and explosions rocked several Tripoli districts, killing at least six people, according to authorities. Reports said Abdelghani Al-Kikli, leader of the Support and Stability Apparatus which controls the southern district of Abu Salim, had also been killed at a facility controlled by the 444 Brigade.
'Territorial reshuffle'
A source told AFP groups were moving into the capital from neighboring Zawiya in support of Radaa. Meanwhile, "more Misrata brigades may continue to join Dbeibah's side", said Libya expert Jalel Harchaoui. He described the latest conflict as "more dangerous" for the capital in recent years, saying it meant a "territorial reshuffle" with more factions "seeking to insinuate themselves into downtown Tripoli". The 444 Brigade controls parts of southern Tripoli and is aligned with Dbeibah, whereas Radaa controls parts in the capital's east and holds several key state facilities.
On Tuesday, the Tripoli-based government said the fighting had been brought under control as Dbeibah thanked government forces "for restoring security and asserting the state's authority in the capital". Dbeibah also announced a string of executive orders including dissolving some bodies previously run by Tripoli armed groups other than the 444 Brigade.
But a second night of fighting could mean "a more prolonged, destructive, and existential battle with a nationwide dimension" after what he said was Dbeibah's "failure to secure a quick victory". Authorities also announced a ceasefire, but gunshots were still heard in western parts of Tripoli. The United Nations mission in Libya said it was "deeply alarmed by escalating violence in densely populated neighborhoods of Tripoli for the second night in a row". In a statement, it called for "an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in all areas, allowing safe corridors for the evacuation of civilians trapped in intense conflict zones". — AFP
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