Violent and sudden armed clashes erupted on Friday evening between armed groups affiliated with the Government of National Unity headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah in the city of Gharyan, located southwest of Tripoli, which led to panic within the city.
The clashes, in which all types of weapons were used, erupted after an attack launched by the “Stability Support Forces” led by Ghniwa al-Kikli, which took control of the Counter-Terrorism Headquarters in Gharyan, which is affiliated with the “Mukhtar al-Jahwi” militia, which declared a state of emergency and mobilized its forces to respond to this attack.
Video clips circulating on social media showed the intensity of the clashes, as hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades were fired from both sides, and the sound of gunfire was widely heard, which caused panic among the citizens, while no casualties have been reported so far.
The Dbeibah government and the military and security forces in the city have not yet provided any details or clarifications about these clashes and the parties involved.
This military tension in western Tripoli provides living proof of the existence of signs of armed escalation at any time between the rival factions in western Libya, in light of the continued political deadlock and the failure to reach a solution to end the crisis and division in the country.