At Least 27 Dead, over 100 Wounded in Libya’s Clashes

By Staff, Agencies

At least 27 people were killed and over 100 wounded in violent clashes between two armed groups in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, the country’s emergency services announced on Tuesday.

Tensions sparked on Monday as the commander of the 444 Brigade Mahmoud Hamza, which is affiliated with Libya’s defense ministry and controls the southern suburbs of Tripoli, was detained by the rivaling Special Deterrence Force, while trying to travel from the capital’s only civilian airport of Mitiga.

Fighting brought the airport to a standstill and led to multiple casualties among civilians, according to state news agency LANA.

The armed groups agreed to a ceasefire deal late Tuesday under which Hamza would be transferred to a neutral party. The cause of his detention is still unknown.

The agreement will also see the parties stopping all military operations in Tripoli and assessing damage done to public and private property with the Government of National Unity expected to provide compensations, LANA reported. Earlier on Tuesday, the UN Support Mission in Libya said it was “closely monitoring security incidents” in Tripoli and reminded “all parties involved of their responsibility under international law to protect civilians.”