Violent armed clashes took place in the early hours of Sunday, between armed militias near Bridge 17 in the Janzur area, west of Tripoli.
Video clips circulated on social media showed the sounds of intense gunfire and in different parts of the city. No official party has yet announced the cause of the armed clashes.
According to reports, the armed clashes took place between the Janzur Knights Brigade and the 55th Brigade of Warshafana under the command of Muammar Al-Dhawi, affiliated with the Support and Stability Force (SSF).
Indiscriminate shells landed in the populated neighbourhoods surrounding the area, causing panic among residents. The Janzur Media Center stated that clashes also took place along the Coastal Road.
Private clinics close to the clashes recorded one killed and five wounded, with light and moderate injuries.
In the morning, the militias reached a truce, according to Al-Arabiya.net, with a ceasefire and the withdrawal of all forces. Deputy of the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) in the city of Al-Zawiya, Hassan Abu Zaribah led the mediation efforts. He was accompanied by a number of tribal sheikhs and notables.
On Saturday, a new wave of armed clashes erupted between Libya’s Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF), and human smugglers in Bani Walid city, southeast of Tripoli.
A security source stated that the clashes came against the backdrop of the arrest of Ashraf Al-Khazmi, a relative of IS leader Mubarak Al-Kharmi, who was arrested by the country’s Joint Operations Forces in September.
The source added that the clashes took place south of Bani Walid, on a farm used by human smugglers.
Well-informed sources in the city indicated that the elite military unit, the 444th Brigade said that it managed to raid several human smuggling dens. This resulted in fierce clashes, with various types of medium weapons reportedly used during the fighting.
