An agreement was reached in Libya to end fighting between two warring factions in the eastern suburbs of Tripoli, France reported press, quoted by BTA, citing a representative of the capital-based Government of National Unity.
Clashes in Tripoli erupted on Friday, with emergency services reporting at least 9 dead and 16 wounded. Fighting then briefly resumed yesterday in Tajoura, a town 20 kilometers east of the Libyan capital.
The cease-fire agreement between the two armed groups, each linked to the Tripoli-based government, was brokered by the defense ministry and the general staff. As a result, each of the factions withdrew from the positions they had taken.
Relative calm has reigned in Libya in recent years, clashes periodically break out between the numerous armed groups in the country and especially in and around Tripoli, AFP recalls. The clashes on Friday coincided with the advance into southern Libya of troops of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who controls the eastern part of the country.
This revived the specter of the civil war - four years after the ceasefire, notes AFP. On this occasion, the UN mission in Libya called for de-escalation and avoidance of further tension.
The oil-rich North African country remains effectively divided in two, with the Government of National Unity in control of the west, including Tripoli, and Haftar in the east. In addition, there are numerous armed groups in the country pursuing their own interests.