Deadly Clashes Erupt in Tripoli Between Militia Groups

Violent clashes erupted in Tripoli, resulting in at least 55 deaths and 146 injuries, as two militia groups supporting Libya’s UN-backed government clashed over the detention of a military commander. The 444 Brigade and the Special Deterrence Force engaged in fierce fighting after the latter arrested a powerful commander from the former group.

Among the casualties were civilians and security personnel, with several bodies remaining unidentified. The Interior Ministry confirmed a ceasefire was brokered with the Prime Minister’s and Tripoli’s elders’ efforts. Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah emphasized the necessity to prevent a return to fighting and called for cooperation with security agencies to maintain stability.

The clashes forced the capital’s main airport to close temporarily. Libya’s political landscape remains chaotic after the ousting and death of Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with an interim government in Tripoli and another in the east. Despite a 2020 ceasefire, factionalism threatens ongoing peace efforts.