Latest news with #Dbeibah-aligned
Iraqi News
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Libya's Tripoli back to calm after bout of deadly violence
Tripoli – Flights resumed on Friday at Tripoli 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 told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. After the bout of violence that pitted armed groups aligned with the Tripoli government and rival factions it seeks to dismantle, the official said: 'We believe the situation is moving toward a ceasefire.' Security forces were out in force for an anti-government demonstration joined by around 1,000 people from various parts of the capital, AFP journalists reported. But there were no immediate reports of any disturbances. Ahead of the demonstration, the UN Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, had underlined 'citizens' right to peaceful protest' and warned against 'any escalation of violence'. 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 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi. The country is split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east controlled by the family of military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The violence in Tripoli was sparked by the killing of Abdelghani al-Kikli, head of the Support and Stability Apparatus (SSA) faction, by the Dbeibah-aligned 444 Brigade. 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. UNSMIL 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 neighbourhoods to heavy artillery fire'. The interior ministry source said authorities were patrolling key parts in Tripoli, as 'armed groups' vehicles' withdrew from flashpoint areas. 'It's a positive thing, and it indicates good intentions,' said the source. Human rights group Amnesty International demanded that 'militia leaders (be) held to account after the outbreak of violence in Tripoli'. It said for years, groups including the SSA 'terrorised people in Tripoli through enforced disappearances, torture, and other crimes under international law'. The International Criminal Court announced on Thursday that Libya had recognised its jurisdiction over allegations of war crimes committed in the North African country since 2011.
France 24
16-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Libya's Tripoli back to calm after bout of deadly violence
"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 told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. After the bout of violence that pitted armed groups aligned with the Tripoli government and rival factions it seeks to dismantle, the official said: "We believe the situation is moving toward a ceasefire." Security forces were out in force for an anti-government demonstration joined by around 1,000 people from various parts of the capital, AFP journalists reported. But there were no immediate reports of any disturbances. Ahead of the demonstration, the UN Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, had underlined "citizens' right to peaceful protest" and warned against "any escalation of violence". 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 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi. The country is split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east controlled by the family of military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The violence in Tripoli was sparked by the killing of Abdelghani al-Kikli, head of the Support and Stability Apparatus (SSA) faction, by the Dbeibah-aligned 444 Brigade. 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. UNSMIL 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 neighbourhoods to heavy artillery fire". The interior ministry source said authorities were patrolling key parts in Tripoli, as "armed groups' vehicles" withdrew from flashpoint areas. "It's a positive thing, and it indicates good intentions," said the source. Human rights group Amnesty International demanded that "militia leaders (be) held to account after the outbreak of violence in Tripoli". It said for years, groups including the SSA "terrorised people in Tripoli through enforced disappearances, torture, and other crimes under international law". The International Criminal Court announced on Thursday that Libya had recognised its jurisdiction over allegations of war crimes committed in the North African country since 2011.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Libya's Tripoli back to calm after bout of deadly violence
Flights resumed on Friday at Tripoli 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 told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. After the bout of violence that pitted armed groups aligned with the Tripoli government and rival factions it seeks to dismantle, the official said: "We believe the situation is moving toward a ceasefire." Security forces were out in force for an anti-government demonstration joined by around 1,000 people from various parts of the capital, AFP journalists reported. But there were no immediate reports of any disturbances. Ahead of the demonstration, the UN Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, had underlined "citizens' right to peaceful protest" and warned against "any escalation of violence". 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 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi. The country is split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east controlled by the family of military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The violence in Tripoli was sparked by the killing of Abdelghani al-Kikli, head of the Support and Stability Apparatus (SSA) faction, by the Dbeibah-aligned 444 Brigade. 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. UNSMIL 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 neighbourhoods to heavy artillery fire". The interior ministry source said authorities were patrolling key parts in Tripoli, as "armed groups' vehicles" withdrew from flashpoint areas. "It's a positive thing, and it indicates good intentions," said the source. Human rights group Amnesty International demanded that "militia leaders (be) held to account after the outbreak of violence in Tripoli". It said for years, groups including the SSA "terrorised people in Tripoli through enforced disappearances, torture, and other crimes under international law". The International Criminal Court announced on Thursday that Libya had recognised its jurisdiction over allegations of war crimes committed in the North African country since 2011. bur-bou-kir/jsa
Straits Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Libya fighting calms after truce announced
FILE PHOTO: Members of the 444 Brigade of the Libyan Army, a unit serving the Government of National Unity (GNU) and Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, stand guard at Abu Salim area, in Tripoli, Libya, May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Ayman al-Sahili/File Photo TRIPOLI - The worst fighting in Libya's capital for years calmed on Wednesday an hour after the government announced a ceasefire, Tripoli residents said, with no immediate statement from authorities on how many people had been killed. Clashes broke out late on Monday after the killing of a major militia leader. After calming on Tuesday morning, the fighting reignited overnight, with major battles rocking districts across the entire city. "Regular forces, in coordination with the relevant security authorities, have begun taking the necessary measures to ensure calm, including the deployment of neutral units," the government's defence ministry said. The ministry said the neutral units it was deploying around sensitive sites were from the police force, which does not carry heavy weapons. The United Nations Libya mission UNSMIL said it was "deeply alarmed by the escalating violence in densely populated neighbourhoods of Tripoli" and urgently called for a ceasefire. Monday's clashes had appeared to consolidate the power of Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, prime minister of the divided country's Government of National Unity (GNU) and an ally of Turkey. However, any prolonged fighting within Tripoli risks drawing in factions from outside the capital, potentially leading to a wider escalation between Libya's many armed players after years of relative calm. The main fighting on Wednesday was between the Dbeibah-aligned 444 Brigade and the Special Deterrence Force (Rada), the last major armed Tripoli faction not currently in his camp, the English-language Libyan Observer reported. Fighting also erupted in western areas of Tripoli that have historically been a gateway for armed factions from Zawiya, a town to the west of the capital. WEEKS OF GROWING TENSIONS Tripoli residents trapped in their homes by the fighting voiced horror at the sudden eruption of violence, which had followed weeks of growing tensions among armed factions. "It's terrorizing to witness all this intense fighting. I had my family in one room to avoid random shelling," said a father of three in the Dahra area by phone. In the western suburb of Saraj, Mohanad Juma said fighting would pause for a few minutes before resuming. "Each time it stops we feel relieved. But then we lose hope again," he said. Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi and the country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020. A major energy exporter, Libya is also an important way station for migrants heading to Europe and its conflict has drawn in foreign powers including Turkey, Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Its main oil facilities are located in southern and eastern Libya, far from the current fighting in Tripoli. While eastern Libya has been dominated for a decade by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA), control in Tripoli and western Libya has been splintered among numerous armed factions. Dbeibah on Tuesday ordered the dismantling of what he called irregular armed groups. That announcement followed Monday's killing of major militia chief Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, and the sudden defeat of his Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA) group by factions aligned with Dbeibah. The seizure of SSA territory in Libya by the Dbeibah-allied factions, the 444 and 111 Brigades, indicated a major concentration of power in the fragmented capital, leaving Rada as the last big faction not closely tied to the prime minister. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Most intense fighting for years traps terrified residents in Libyan capital
FILE PHOTO: Members of the 444 Brigade of the Libyan Army, a unit serving the Government of National Unity (GNU) and Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, stand guard at Abu Salim area, in Tripoli, Libya, May 13, 2025. REUTERS/Ayman al-Sahili/File Photo TRIPOLI - The most intense clashes for years rocked Tripoli for a second night and continued into Wednesday morning, witnesses in the Libyan capital said, after Monday's killing of a major militia leader set off fighting between rival factions. The United Nations Libya mission UNSMIL said it was "deeply alarmed by the escalating violence in densely populated neighbourhoods of Tripoli" and urgently called for a ceasefire. The latest unrest in Libya's capital follows battles on Monday that appeared to consolidate the power of Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, prime minister of the divided country's Government of National Unity (GNU) and an ally of Turkey. However, any prolonged fighting within Tripoli risks drawing in factions from outside the capital, potentially leading to a wider escalation between Libya's many armed players after years of relative calm. The main fighting on Wednesday was between the Dbeibah-aligned 444 Brigade and the Special Deterrence Force (Rada), the last major armed Tripoli faction not currently in his camp, the English-language Libyan Observer reported. Tripoli residents trapped in their homes by the fighting voiced horror at the sudden eruption of violence, which had followed weeks of growing tensions among armed factions. "It's terrorizing to witness all this intense fighting. I had my family in one room to avoid random shelling," said a father of three in the Dahra area by phone. In the western suburb of Saraj, Mohanad Juma said fighting would pause for a few minutes before resuming. "Each time it stops we feel relieved. But then we lose hope again," he said. ARMED FACTIONS Libya has had little stability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi and the country split in 2014 between rival eastern and western factions, though an outbreak of major warfare paused with a truce in 2020. A major energy exporter, Libya is also an important way station for migrants heading to Europe and its conflict has drawn in foreign powers including Turkey, Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Its main oil facilities are located in southern and eastern Libya, far from the current fighting in Tripoli. While eastern Libya has been dominated for a decade by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA), control in Tripoli and western Libya has been splintered among numerous armed factions. Dbeibah on Tuesday ordered the dismantling of what he called irregular armed groups. That announcement followed Monday's killing of major militia chief Abdulghani Kikli, widely known as Ghaniwa, and the sudden defeat of his Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA) group by factions aligned with Dbeibah. The seizure of SSA territory in Libya by the Dbeibah-allied factions, the 444 and 111 Brigades, indicated a major concentration of power in the fragmented capital, leaving Rada as the last big faction not closely tied to the prime minister. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
