13 May 2025
Clashes broke out between rival armed groups in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Monday night, with local media reporting that the leader of an armed faction was killed.
Journalists for news agency AFP reported hearing heavy arms fire and explosions in several areas, while residents told Reuters that gunfire echoed through the city. Authorities urged people to stay indoors.
Libyan television channel Al Ahrar and news site Al Wasat reported the death of Abdelghani Al Kikli, known as Ghaniwa, leader of the Support and Stability Apparatus, an influential armed group based in south Tripoli.
Local media said the clashes broke out in the southern suburbs between armed groups from Tripoli and rivals from Misrata, a major port city 200km east of the capital.
Libya is struggling to recover from years of unrest following a 2011 revolt that led to the fall of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi. It is currently divided between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, controlled by the Haftar family.
Despite relative calm in recent years, clashes periodically break out between armed groups vying for territory. In August 2023, fighting between two powerful groups in Tripoli left 55 dead.
The government in Tripoli said early on Tuesday that the defence ministry had taken full control of the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, where the Support and Stability Apparatus is based.
Several districts of the capital and its suburbs announced that schools would be closed until further notice. The interior ministry in Tripoli urged “all citizens to stay at home for their safety”.
Drivers were heard speeding and honking in many Tripoli streets overnight. “I heard heavy gunfire, and I saw red lights in the sky,” one resident told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Source: Thenational
