Eyewitnesses reported that armed clashes broke out, at dawn on Sunday, between members of the “Tajoura Lions Brigade,” east of Tripoli.
Eyewitnesses stated that the clashes occurred between members of the brigade, who were present at the headquarters in the Air Force college, and their previous HQ, in the old “Sa`y Market” area in Bir Al-Usta Milad.
They confirmed that the clashes took place in the civilian populated area, causing panic among residents.
Safety in Libya’s capital, Tripoli is continuously deteriorating, with threats of kidnapping and murder a daily occurrence for residents.
Over the years, kidnappings, arrests, and assassinations have increased substantially in western Libya. This is evident in the repeated statements of the Ministry of Interior, about the arrest of gangs and individuals involved in the kidnapping and extortion of expatriate workers.
Libya ranked fourth in the Arab world, and twenty in the world, among the countries with the highest levels of organized crime, according to the report of the Global Initiative to Combat Crime (GLOBAL INITIATIVE).
In its latest report on Libya, the foundation based its indicators on several factors, most notably human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, crimes related to animal and plant life, human smuggling, and arms trade.
According to the report, Libya ranked last in the world in terms of the degree of resilience against organized crime. This reflects the inability of the state to confront the scourge of crime.
Murder has been a weekly occurrence, throughout the country. The number of extrajudicial killings in 2022 has surpassed 173 people. This is especially due to the proliferation of weapons and the inability of the security services to monopolise the possession of weapons.
Libya ranked first in North Africa, third in the Arab world after Syria and Somalia, and 25th in the world according to the crime index of the database encyclopaedia, Numbeo.
Libya recorded a 60.5% crime rate, which is considered high, while recording a 39% safety rate. During the past eight years, the crime rate in Libya lowest in 2017 at 54%, and the worst in 2015 with 70%.