Forces loyal to rival Libya govts clash near Tripoli

By Ayman Saad

TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) - Clashes erupted Friday between forces loyal to Libya’s "salvation" government (which is not internationally recognized) and forces loyal to the UN-backed unity government’s presidential council in an area south of capital Tripoli, local witnesses said.

The clashes -- which involved the use of heavy weapons -- did not result in any casualties, but they did sow panic among local residents, witnesses said.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, witnesses reported hearing intense gunfire in the Abu Salim district (located just south of Tripoli) and seeing armored vehicles and tanks rolling through residential areas.

As of about 17:00 GMT, local sources reported that a "cautious calm" pervaded the area.

According to a security source affiliated with the "salvation" government (who insisted on anonymity due to security concerns), clashes erupted after a pro-"salvation" government infantry battalion stormed a number of residential buildings in Abu Salim controlled by the unity government.

Based in Tripoli, Libya’s "salvation" government is headed by Khalifa Ghuweil.

Libya’s national unity government, meanwhile, is also based in Tripoli and is headed by Prime Minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj.

Two weeks ago, the same area saw three days of fierce fighting between rival political factions in which fighters from both sides were killed and injured.

Libya has been wracked by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody uprising ended with the ouster and death of longtime strongman Muammar Gaddafi.

Following Gaddafi’s death, the country’s stark political divisions yielded two rival seats of government -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli.

Last year, the two rival governments signed a UN-sponsored agreement in Skhirat, which subsequently led to the formation of a unity government.

The unity government, however, has so far failed to assume its ruling mandate across the troubled North African country, while armed conflict remains rife between Libya’s warring political factions.