The centre, which provides emergency services in the west of Tripoli, published the "provisional" toll on its Facebook page overnight. Three field hospitals and a fleet of around 60 ambulances had been dispatched to the area when the fighting broke out. The clashes were triggered by the detention of the head of the 444 Brigade, Colonel Mahmoud Hamza, by the rival Al-Radaa Force on Monday, an interior ministry official said. In May, the two sides had clashed for hours in Tripoli, also after the arrest of a 444 Brigade member. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya said in a statement it was“following with concern” the security deterioration in the Libyan capital and its impact on civilians.

Source: Libya Today August 19, 2023 00:41 UTC