Overnight clashes in Libya鈥檚 capital killed at least six people, an emergency medical service said on Tuesday, with local media reporting that an armed group leader was among the dead.
Heavy arms fire and explosions were heard in several areas of Tripoli from 9:00pm (1900 GMT) on Monday as violent clashes between rival armed groups rocked the capital.
鈥楽ix bodies have been retrieved from the sites of clashes around Abu Salim鈥� in Tripoli, the Emergency Medicine and Support Centre said.
Reports said Abdelghani al-Kikli, leader of the Support and Stability Apparatus which controls the southern district of Abu Salim, was killed, with unverified images of his body circulating on social media.
The reports said he was shot at a base of the rival 444 Brigade while attending a meeting for mediation.
Libya expert Jalel Harchaoui said on social media that Kikli was likely ambushed at the base, citing a relative of the SSA leader.
Harchaoui described Kikli as among Tripoli鈥檚 鈥榤ost successful armed group leaders鈥�, with an 鈥榓bility to outmanoeuvre prime minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah鈥�.
The 444 Brigade, which controls other parts of southern Tripoli, is aligned with Dbeibah.
Libya is struggling to recover from years of unrest following the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of Muammar Gaddafi.
The North African country is currently divided between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli led by Dbeibah and a rival administration in the east, controlled by the Haftar family.
Local media said clashes also broke out in the southern suburbs between armed groups from Tripoli and rivals from Misrata, a major port city 200 kilometres east of the capital.
Authorities had urged residents to stay indoors before saying several hours later that the fighting had been brought under control.
The Tripoli-based government on Tuesday said a 鈥榤ilitary operation鈥� to restore 鈥榮ecurity and stability鈥� in the capital had been successful.
Dbeibah, in a post on social media platform X, thanked government forces 鈥榝or restoring security and asserting the state鈥檚 authority in the capital鈥�.
鈥榃hat was accomplished today shows that official institutions are capable of protecting the homeland and preserving the dignity of its citizens,鈥� Dbeibah said.
He hailed the security forces鈥� actions as 鈥榓 decisive step鈥� in the fight against 鈥榠rregular鈥� armed factions.
Despite relative calm in recent years, clashes periodically break out between armed groups vying for territory.
In August 2023, fighting between two powerful armed groups in Tripoli left 55 dead.
Authorities in several parts of the capital said schools would be closed on Tuesday until further notice.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya called for calm.
鈥楿NSMIL is alarmed by the unfolding security situation in Tripoli, with intense fighting with heavy weaponry in densely populated civilian areas,鈥� it said on X.
It urged 鈥榓ll parties to immediately cease fighting鈥�, warning that 鈥榓ttacks on civilians and civilian objects may amount to war crimes.鈥�
鈥楿NSMIL fully supports the efforts of elders and community leaders to de-escalate the situation.鈥�
