Clashes between two powerful armed groups in the Libyan capital appeared to be winding down on Tuesday after the worst incidents in Tripoli in more than a year, after the release of an officer from one of the forces that sparked the clash.

Health service of the Libyan capital reported that at least 27 people were killed and over a hundred others were injured. He did not specify whether this tally included civilians.

The so-called Special Interdiction Force and Brigade 444 are among the strongest in Tripoli. The conflict between them since the night before last Monday which continued yesterday caused terror in the capital.

Black smoke billowed in areas of the city and the sound of heavy weapons echoed in areas of the capital.

The two formations formally swear allegiance to the Government of National Unity (GNU). The fighting between them shattered the relative calm that had prevailed in recent months in Tripoli and highlighted the government’s unresolved conflict in Libya.

Libya has been in chaos since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising toppled the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. In the oil-rich country, a myriad of armed organizations and two rival governments, one in the west, the other in the east, have been fighting for power ever since.

A large-scale operation by the forces of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the strongman in eastern Libya, to capture Tripoli failed in 2020. A ceasefire has since been agreed. Turkey, which sided with the internationally recognized KEU, maintained a military presence in Libya.

However, there has been little progress in finding a lasting solution and on the ground, armed groups that have now secured official recognition and funding from the government of Abdelhamid Dbayba continue to claim more power for themselves.

Last year, groups supporting a rival government, which it called the parliament, based in eastern Libya, tried to oust Prime Minister Dbayba, but failed despite fighting. Sporadic fighting has also been reported this year in Zawiya, west of the capital.

The Special Interdiction Force, which controls Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport, arrested Mahmoud Hamza, head of Brigade 444, who wanted to travel. Mr. Hamza was formerly a member of the Special Interdiction Force and often plays a critical mediating role.

Call for blood donation

Another armed force, the Stabilization Support Mechanism, deployed fighters and vehicles to Tripoli but was not involved in the fighting.

Flights were diverted yesterday from Mitiga to an airport in Misrata, about 180 kilometers east of Tripoli, according to airlines and officials of the two airports.

The UN mission in Libya expressed “concern” about the events and the consequences “for civilians”, calling for an “immediate de-escalation” and “dialogue”.

The embassies of the US, Britain, France and the European Union delegation also called for an end to hostilities.

The Ministry of Health issued an appeal for blood donation.

Already at the end of May, the Special Interdiction Force and the 444th Brigade were involved in clashes, which, however, resulted in only a few minor injuries.

In July and August 2022, clashes between the Special Deterrence Force and other armed groups, in the context of the government crisis, resulted in approximately fifty deaths in the capital.