TRIPOLI, Libya

At least nine people were killed and 16 others injured on Friday during clashes between two militias in Tajoura, an eastern suburb of the Libyan capital Tripoli, the Ambulance and Emergency Service said.

The service, however, did not clarify whether the victims were civilians or combatants.

A security source, speaking to Anadolu on condition of anonymity, stated that the fighting was between the Rahbat al-Duru and Al-Shahida Sabriya militias.

The source said that the conflict began after an assassination attempt on Bashir Khalafallah, the leader of Rahbat al-Duru. It did not confirm who was behind the assassination attempt.

Libya has been plagued by sporadic security issues amid ongoing political division since 2022.

The country is currently governed by two rival administrations: the UN-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, based in Tripoli, which controls the western part of the country, and the government of Osama Hammad, appointed by the House of Representatives, which operates out of Benghazi and governs the eastern region and parts of the south.

Efforts led by the UN to hold parliamentary and presidential elections have repeatedly stalled, prolonging the country’s political deadlock and exacerbating the security situation in the oil-rich nation.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi