Reports that armed conveys belonging to Libya’s 444th Brigade have left their camps, and are en route to the fighting taking place in Tripoli.
Tripoli is witnessing renewed clashes between the RADA Special Deterrence Forces and the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade. Several deaths have been reported.
Various kinds of medium and heavy weapons are being used. Videos being circulated on social media platforms show the use of such weapons in residential neighbourhoods, and the closure of a number of roads in Al-Furnaj.
A state of terror and panic is prevalent among residents, especially those unable to leave the area. These clashes reflect the reality of Tripoli, and western Libya which remain under the control of militias.
The reason for the fighting was the arrest of a member of the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade, led by Ayoub Abu Rass, by RADA forces.
Notably, the Libyan Presidential Council demanded an immediate cessation of clashes in Tripoli, and the immediate return of fighters to their headquarters.
In a statement, the Presidential Council called on the Attorney General and the Military Prosecutor, to open a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the clashes.
The statement added that the Minister of Defence and Prime Minister, Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba and the Minister of Interior should take the necessary measures to impose security inside the capital.