Clashes renewed in Tripoli raising panic among residents

Clashes have been renewed between Central Security forces loyal to internationally-recognized government of Head of Libyan presidential Council Fayez Al Sarraj on one hand and Misrata militias on the other hand, as local sources revealed that the sound of bullets was heard in Tripoli on early Thursday, announcing the start of a new armed conflict.

According to the sources, at least one person was killed and a number of others injured today in central Tripoli when two rival local militias battled it out for control of the area.

The two ­– the Nawasi brigade, which controls much the corniche from the Libyana headquarters near Busetta to Suq Al-Thalath on the west side of the city and which is trying to expand its zone, and the Ghazewy brigade, based in the Old City, have been rivals for some time. One area of contention has been their relationships with black market currency dealers. Some are protected by Nawasi, others by Ghazewy.

The situation spiralled out of control today when a woman queueing at a bank off Martyrs’ Square was reported shot dead by one of the militias. It has not been disclosed which militia or which bank, although there are reports of attempts to arrest a member of the Ghazewy.

There were clashes near Busetta and near the Corinthia Hotel, and both militias called on their supporters to be ready for a major confrontation. Somehow, however, the situation calmed down during the afternoon, without any obvious reason.

Meanwhile, both Dreibi district and the Airport Road saw tanks and other heavy weapons appear on the streets but residents say they heard no shooting.

On the political side, Presidency Council (PC) head Faiez Serraj will meet with Marshal Field Khalifa Hafter in Cairo tomorrow for the second stage of their discussions, usually reliable sources in Tripoli have told the Libya Herald. They said that he had already left for the Egyptian capital and that Hafter had likewise flown this evening from Benghazi’s Benina airbase. Neither report has been confirmed.

It was widely reported last week after the two men’s talks in Abu Dhabi that there would be a follow-up meeting this week in the Egyptian capital. Although there was no announcement, the two were said to have had discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh El-Sisi who was in Abu Dhabi at the time.

Meanwhile earlier today in Tripoli, Serraj met some 50 House of Representatives (HoR) members from across the country who support the Libyan Political Agreement and the PC for what were described as “frank and serious” discussions. These dwelt in particular on his meeting with Hafter.

According to reports, he said that they focussed on uniting military structures in Libya under the control of a political leadership, the situation in the south of the country, and drawing the Petroleum Facilities Guards into a single structure. He also said that the Libyan Political Agreement had to be basis for future dialogue and agreement.