On Monday evening, clashes broke out in the southern part of Tripoli between the 444th Combat Brigade and the Security and Stability Maintenance Apparatus. The reason for the escalation was the assassination of the head of the Security and Stability Maintenance Service of the Presidential Council of Libya, Abdelghani Al-Kiqli, at the headquarters of the 444th Brigade.
The reason for Al-Kiqli's presence at the headquarters is unknown, but it is possible that he was “tricked into the meeting“.
According to the latest data, at least six people were injured as a result of the clashes. The emergency services in Tripoli declared a state of heightened alert. Military equipment was entering the city. Mitiga International Airport was closed and flights were diverted to the city of Misrata, 200 km east of Tripoli. The Interior Ministry called on citizens to "take responsibility to stay in their homes and not go out for their own safety."
The Defense Ministry, which is subordinate to the Government of National Accord, announced the "successful completion of a military operation" in Tripoli, Libyan TV channel Al Wasat reported.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense to the cabinet meeting in Tripoli, the department has given instructions to “complete the implementation of its plan in the region to ensure sustainable security and stability“.
The department reports that it has established full control over the Abu Salim area, which is the stronghold of the slain Al-Kikli.
There are two governments in Libya that do not recognize each other. One, supported by the UN and led by Abdel Hamid Dbeiba, is based in Tripoli. The second, which received powers from the House of Representatives, was initially based in Benghazi and later moved to Sirte. It is led by Osama Hamad.
After the overthrow and liquidation of the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya ceased to function as a unified state. In recent years, there has been a confrontation between the authorities in Tripoli in the western part of the country and the authorities in the eastern part, supported by the Libyan National Army under the command of Khalifa Haftar. In 2021, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in the UN-hosted Geneva elected a transitional executive body pending general elections, which have not yet been held. Libyan armed groups affiliated with rival political forces often engage in open conflict, resulting in numerous casualties.