Tripoli, March 23 – Armed clashes broke out in Zawiya, a city about 60 km west of Tripoli, leaving one person dead, according to a local daily.
Al-Bashti Al-Zahouf, a member of the city's Council of Elders and Notables, told Al-Mashhad newspaper that fighting erupted in the Dila-Qamouda area between two armed factions on Sunday (local time). Both groups are affiliated with the Government of National Unity (GNU) based in Tripoli.
The fighting highlights the persistent tensions in Zawiya, where rival armed groups have repeatedly clashed despite calls from local leaders for calm.
Since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been divided between two governments – the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity and the eastern-based administration appointed by the House of Representatives. Internal clashes frequently erupt, resulting in casualties.
Libya remains divided between the UN-recognised GNU in the west and a rival eastern administration headed by Osama Hammad and backed by Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, according to Xinhua news agency.
Earlier this month, two members of armed formations were killed early Monday after a bulletproof vehicle was targeted by gunfire in the city of Zawiy, local media had reported.
A local source told Al-Masar TV that gunmen opened fire on an armored vehicle on a street in Zawiya, killing one member of the armed formations instantly, while the second died later of his wounds.
Al-Masar TV, citing a local source, reported that the clashes were taking place between elements loyal to Mahmoud Bin Rajab, commander of the Support Force of the Tripoli Security Directorate assigned by the Presidential Council, and the First Support Unit led by Mohamed Bahroun, a local powerful militia leader.