Clashes between armed groups broke out on Friday night in the town of Zawiya, west of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, an official told AFP yesterday.

The Ministry of Health of the Government of National Unity (GNU), based in Tripoli, reported that efforts are being made to urgently evacuate residents of the city’s districts and transport the injured to hospitals, without going into details. Media reports have reported casualties — Reuters reported at least one dead and six others wounded — which has not been officially confirmed at this stage.

“Southern sectors in the city of Zawiya have turned into a theater of clashes between armed groups since last night,” explained the official of the security services of the city, which is about fifty kilometers from the Libyan capital.

Fighting was “continuing” yesterday, but “sporadically”, according to the same source.

The Libyan Red Crescent, for its part, reported yesterday that it hastily removed some families from affected areas.

Yesterday morning, schools in Zawiya did not open and some roads into the city were closed, according to the security official.

Neither the reasons, nor who are the conflicting groups have been clarified until now.

Videos uploaded to social media sites — AFP was unable to verify whether they are authentic — show gunmen on 4×4 vehicles firing heavy machine guns at their opponents. Others depict smoke rising from some districts of Zawiya.

This city is home to the largest Libyan refinery in operation, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.

Libya’s journey to turn the page on the years of war and chaos that followed the 2011 uprising that toppled the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi continues to encounter many difficulties. The country remains divided, with two governments, one, recognized by the UN, in the capital, its rival in the eastern part of the country.

While there has generally been relative calm in recent years, hostilities between some of the myriad armed groups that remain are not uncommon.

In mid-April, powerful armed groups were involved in fighting in the heart of Tripoli.

In August 2023, fighting between two organizations in the capital claimed the lives of at least 55 people.