Airport clashes leave 11 dead in Libyan capital: Source

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) - At least 11 people have been killed in clashes near the Mitiga International Airport in Libyan capital Tripoli, local media reported on Monday.

Alnabaa Libya, a private Libyan television channel, quoted Abdel-Dayim al-Murabti, director of a field hospital in Tripoli, as saying the clashes had left 11 people dead and at least 20 others injured.

Earlier Monday, a security source from Libya’s Tripoli-based, UN-backed unity government said government forces had clashed with rival forces loyal to the so-called “salvation government” after the latter had attempted to capture the airport.

Libya’s “national salvation government” is a separate, unelected government also based in Tripoli.

According to the security source, who spoke anonymously due to restrictions on speaking to media, the airport had come under attack by an armed group from the pro-salvation government town of Tajura, triggering clashes.

Air traffic has been suspended while the airport has been evacuated, the same source said.

Libya has been dogged by chaos since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the ouster and death of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.

The ensuing power vacuum swiftly led to the emergence of several rival seats of government, including one in the city of Tobruk and two others in capital Tripoli (including the UN-backed unity government), along with a plethora of heavily-armed militia groups.