Clashes broke out in the Libyan capital Tripoli late on Monday after the reported seizure of a powerful armed faction commander by a rival force. Mahmoud Hamza, head of the 444 brigade that controls much of Tripoli, was detained at Mitiga airport by the Special Deterrence Force, local media and a source in the 444 brigade said. In the Ain Zara district, near where the clashes took place, armed men closed a major road in the area, Reuters reported. Any sustained fighting between the two factions, the most powerful in the capital after a period of military consolidation, could pose significant risks. Monday's clashes are already the worst to hit Tripoli for months, although there has been sporadic violence between armed factions in some other parts of north-west Libya in recent weeks.

Source: Libya Today August 15, 2023 06:35 UTC