Libya’s health ministry on Sunday said at least 32 people were killed and more than 150 got injured in clashes between militias backed by Libya’s rival governments, reported The Reuters.
The deadly clashes between the rival factions erupted on Friday when armed groups exchanged fire that damaged several hospitals and set buildings on fire.
The fighting follow months of escalating tension between supporters of the government of Abdel Hamid Dabaiba and the parliament-backed government of Fathi Bashagha, whose administrations are vying for control of Libya.
Dbeibah’s administration, which was installed in the capital as part of a United Nations-led peace process in 2020, has so far prevented Bashagha from taking office there, arguing that Libya’s next administration should be selected through election.
Bashagha was appointed by Libya’s eastern-based parliament earlier this year and is backed by powerful eastern military chief Khalifa Haftar, whose 2019 attempt to seize the capital by force turned into a year-long civil war.
Bashagha, a former interior minister, had initially ruled out the use of violence to take power in Tripoli but had since hinted that he could resort to force.
Dbeibah’s government said the latest clashes in Tripoli were triggered by fighters aligned with Bashagha firing on a convoy in the capital while other pro-Bashagha units had massed outside the city. It accused Bashagha of backing out of talks to resolve the crisis.
In response, Bashagha’s administration said in a statement that it had never rejected talks and that its own overtures had been rejected by Dbeibah.
As the division in Libya deepens between two rival governments, there are fears of a new war breaking out in the country.
The United Nations Libya mission said the fighting had included “indiscriminate medium and heavy shelling in civilian-populated neighborhoods” calling for an immediate ceasefire. It reiterated the urgent need for a dialogue between rival groups to get around Libya’s political impasse.
