
Tripoli back to calm after bout of deadly violence
TRIPOLI: Flights resumed on Friday at Tripoli's airport as businesses and markets reopened after days of deadly fighting between armed groups in the Libyan capital.
'Last night, for the first time since Monday, residents of the capital were able to sleep without hearing explosions or gunfire,' an Interior Ministry official said.
After the bout of violence that pitted armed groups aligned with the Tripoli government and rival factions it seeks to dismantle, the official said that 'we believe the situation is moving toward a ceasefire.'
Tripoli was calm again, with markets, gas stations and other businesses reopening at a
usual pace while many residents headed to mosques for the Friday prayer, AFP reporters said.
Flights to and from Tripoli's Mitiga airport, which have been suspended since the fighting began early this week, resumed on Friday.
Authorities have deployed teams to clear the streets of barricades, burned-out vehicles and rubble caused by the violence, the latest outburst in Libya, which has remained deeply divided since the 2011 revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi.
The violence in Tripoli was sparked by the killing of Abdelghani Al-Kikli, head of the Support and Stability Apparatus faction, by the Dbeibah-aligned 444 Brigade.
Flights to and from Tripoli's Mitiga airport, which have been suspended since the fighting began early this week, resumed on Friday.
A second wave of clashes pitted the 444 Brigade against another group, the Radaa force, which controls parts of eastern Tripoli and several key state institutions.
A string of executive orders had sought to dismantle Radaa and dissolve other Tripoli-based armed groups, excluding the 444 Brigade.
The UN said on Thursday there was a 'truce' in Tripoli, calling on 'parties to take urgent steps to sustain and build upon it through dialogue.'
It said that 'at least eight civilians' were killed in the clashes, 'which drew armed groups from outside the city and subjected heavily populated neighborhoods to heavy artillery fire.'
The Interior Ministry source said authorities were patrolling key parts in Tripoli on Friday, as 'armed groups' vehicles' withdrew from flashpoint areas.
'It's a positive thing, and it indicates good intentions,' said the source.
The UN support mission in Libya, UNSMIL, had called on Thursday 'for all armed formations to return to their barracks without delay.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Asharq Al-Awsat
6 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Gaza-Bound Activist Convoy Reaches Libyan Capital
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists in a Gaza-bound convoy reached the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Wednesday as they drive eastward in a bid to break Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory. The Soumoud convoy -- meaning steadfastness in Arabic -- set off from Tunis in buses and cars on Monday, hoping to pass through divided Libya and Egypt, which organizers say has yet to provide passage permits, to reach Gaza. It was launched the day Israel intercepted an aid ship also attempting to breach its blockade on Gaza, which was carrying 12 people, including campaigner Greta Thunberg and European parliament member Franco-Palestinian Rima Hassan. The land convoy was welcomed by hundreds in Tripoli and escorted through the capital by police patrols. Head of the Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah hailed the convoy as a "fraternal humanitarian initiative" that Libyans "embraced in warmth and solidarity". "This is another example of Libya's commitment and generosity in support of the people of Gaza under siege and attack," the premier said in a statement. After 20 months of war, Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies. The United Nations has said the Palestinian territory was "the hungriest place on Earth". "This visit brings us joy," said 45-year-old architect Alaa Abdel Razzaq among the crowd in downtown Tripoli welcoming the convoy. Souhour al-Qatif said the gathering in the capital showed that "the tears of the Libyan people are united with the convoy". "It's a great feeling," she added. "I feel like I'm not in Libya, but in Gaza, united with my Palestinian brothers." Organizers have said a dozen buses and around 100 other vehicles were part of the convoy, adding that they expected the number of participants to grow along the way. Algerian, Mauritanian, Moroccan and Libyan activists were also among the Soumoud group, which is now set to cross eastern Libya, a region controlled by a different administration than Tripoli. This has cast doubt on whether the activists would reach the border crossing with Egypt, which has yet to grant clearance for the activists to cross. Convoy spokesman Ghassen Henchiri told Tunisian media on Wednesday discussions were ongoing with Egyptian authorities regarding a permit to cross, "but as of now, we haven't received an official response."


Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Sudan paramilitaries claim key zone bordering Egypt, Libya
KHARTOUM: Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said Wednesday its fighters seized a strategic zone on the border with Egypt and Libya, as the regular army announced its withdrawal from the area. The announcements came a day after the army accused forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar of launching a cross-border attack alongside the RSF, the first allegation of direct Libyan involvement in the Sudanese war. 'As part of its defensive arrangements to repel aggression, our forces today evacuated the triangle area overlooking the borders between Sudan, Egypt and Libya,' army spokesman Nabil Abdallah said in a statement. Since April 2023, the war in Sudan has pitted army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan against his erstwhile ally Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the RSF. In a statement on Wednesday, the RSF said its fighters had 'liberated the strategic triangle area,' adding that army forces had retreated southward 'after suffering heavy losses.' The army said on Tuesday that Haftar's troops in coordination with the RSF attacked its border positions in a move it called 'a blatant aggression against Sudan.' The war has effectively split Sudan in two, with the army holding the center, east and north, while the paramilitaries and their allies control nearly all of Darfur and parts of the south. The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced 13 million, including four million who fled abroad, triggering what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Efforts by international mediators to halt the fighting have so far failed, with violence continuing to escalate across the western Darfur region and the Kordofan region in the country's south.


Al Arabiya
8 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Sudan paramilitaries seize key zone bordering Egypt, Libya
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said Wednesday its fighters seized a strategic zone on the border with Egypt and Libya, as the regular army announced its withdrawal from the area. The announcements came a day after the army accused forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar of launching a cross-border attack alongside the RSF, the first allegation of direct Libyan involvement in the Sudanese war. 'As part of its defensive arrangements to repel aggression, our forces today evacuated the triangle area overlooking the borders between Sudan, Egypt and Libya,' army spokesman Nabil Abdallah said in a statement. Since April 2023, the war in Sudan has pitted army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his erstwhile ally Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the RSF. In a statement on Wednesday, the RSF said its fighters had 'liberated the strategic triangle area', adding that army forces had retreated southward 'after suffering heavy losses.' The army said on Tuesday that Haftar's troops in coordination with the RSF attacked its border positions in a move it called 'a blatant aggression against Sudan.' It also described the latest clash as part of a broader foreign-backed conspiracy. Haftar's forces could not be immediately reached for comment. The war has effectively split Sudan in two, with the army holding the centre, east and north, while the paramilitaries and their allies control nearly all of Darfur and parts of the south. The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced 13 million, including four million who fled abroad, triggering what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Efforts by international mediators to halt the fighting have so far failed, with violence continuing to escalate across the western Darfur region and the Kordofan region in the country's south.