Libya: Mediators end armed clashes near Tripoli

Mediators have successfully halted armed clashes near the Libyan capital Tripoli, according to AFP citing a source from the internationally recognized government. The fighting, which erupted Friday and briefly resumed Saturday in Tajoura, a town about 20 kilometers east of the capital, had resulted in nine deaths and numerous injuries.

The clashes were ended by an agreement facilitated by other armed groups, with fighters from Rahbat al-Dourou and Shouhada Sabriya, both affiliated with the Tripoli-based government, withdrawing from the area. A neutral third group intervened to stabilize the situation. Tripoli’s ambulance services evacuated 72 families from the conflict zone, and the University of Tripoli suspended classes as a precautionary measure.

Libya remains divided between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and a rival administration backed by Khalifa Haftar in the east. The clashes in the capital comes amid heightened tensions in the country, with the Tripoli government’s forces on high alert against a possible attack by Haftar’s forces.