Rival Libyan militias armed with heavy weapons clashed for the third straight day yesterday in fighting that has killed 14 people, underscoring the country’s volatility months after Muammar Gadafy’s overthrow.
The clashes southwest of the capital pitted fighters from the town of Zintan, who played a big role in ousting Gadafy, against members of the El-Mashashia tribe, who chose not to join the rebellion, security officials said.
Resentment between the two groups spilled over into fighting in December last year, when at least four people were killed, and erupted again this week when a Zintan fighter was shot dead.
Zintan’s militias blamed the El-Mashashia tribe and retaliated, leading to the current flareup, which started on Monday. – (Reuters)