TRIPOLI, Aug 4, (V7N) — At least four people were killed and 10 others injured in overnight clashes between rival armed groups in western Libya, a security source told AFP on Tuesday.
The fighting erupted between members of the Anti-Security Threat Agency and the 103rd Battalion, the official said.
The Anti-Security Threat Agency is aligned with Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah, who leads the UN-recognized government based in Tripoli, while the 103rd Battalion operates under his defence ministry.
"The fighting that started late Monday night and is still continuing south of Sorman, 60 kilometres west of Tripoli, and in some areas of the nearby city of Zawiya, has left four dead and more than 10 wounded," the official from Zawiya's security directorate said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
There was no immediate comment from the prime minister's office or the defence ministry.
Armed clashes are frequent in the Sorman and Zawiya regions, where a major oil refinery is located.
The coastal belt is a center of rivalry among armed groups involved in organized crimes including diesel smuggling, human trafficking and other illicit activities.
According to the official, heavy and medium weapons fire could still be heard in the area on Tuesday morning. He said a "neutral force" has been deployed to contain the violence and prevent further escalation.
As a precautionary measure, the main highway connecting the capital with the Zawiya region was closed overnight.
Photos and videos circulating on social media, which AFP could not independently verify, showed thick black smoke billowing over residential areas in Sorman, along with burnt military vehicles and equipment.
Libya holds Africa's largest oil reserves but has remained divided since the 2011 war that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The country is currently split between two rival administrations: the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and a competing administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
END/WD/RH
