Twenty-seven people have been killed and more are feared dead in clashes between militias in Libya's capital that trapped residents in their homes on Tuesday, according to reports.
More than 100 people were injured in the fighting in Tripoli, Libya's Emergency Medicine and Support Centre, a medical body that responds to humanitarian disasters and wars, said.
It was unclear how many of the dead were militiamen or civilians. The Red Crescent did not respond to a request for comment.
The clashes erupted late on Monday between militiamen from the 444 Brigade and the Special Deterrence Force, according to local media reports.
Tensions flared after Mahmoud Hamza, a senior commander of the brigade, was allegedly detained by the rival group at an airport in Tripoli, the reports said.
Throughout the fighting on Tuesday, the Health Ministry urged the warring sides to allow ambulance and emergency teams to enter the affected areas, primarily in the south of the city, and for blood to be sent to nearby hospitals.
The fighting was the fiercest seen in the capital this year. Inbound flights were diverted to the nearby city of Misurata, Opsgroup, an organisation for the aviation industry, said.
The escalation follows months of relative peace after nearly a decade of civil war in Libya, where two rival authorities are locked in a political stalemate.
Long-standing divisions have sparked several incidents of violence in Tripoli in recent years, although most of them ended in a matter of hours.
Libya’s rival administrations condemned the fighting in separate statements on Tuesday. The House of Representatives, which is based in the eastern city of Benghazi, blamed the Tripoli-based government for the violence.
In a statement, the UN mission in Libya said it was following with concern “the security incidents and developments” and called for an immediate end to the clashes.
The UAE also expressed its concern and called on all parties to cease hostilities and resolve disputes through dialogue.
In a statement, Minister of State Khalifa Al Marar reaffirmed the UAE’s support for efforts to strengthen security, stability and unity in Libya under internationally mediated agreements, leading to the holding of elections.
The US called for an “immediate de-escalation in order to sustain recent Libyan gains towards stability and elections,” the American embassy said.
Since 2014, Libya has been divided between rival administrations in the east and the West, each supported by an array of well-armed militias and different foreign governments.
The oil-rich North African nation has been in a state of upheaval since a 2011 Nato-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
More coverage from the Future Forum
Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000
Available: Now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Getting%20there%20
%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Ftravel%2F2023%2F01%2F12%2Fwhat-does-it-take-to-be-cabin-crew-at-one-of-the-worlds-best-airlines-in-2023%2F%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EEtihad%20Airways%20%3C%2Fa%3Eflies%20daily%20to%20the%20Maldives%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%20The%20journey%20takes%20four%20hours%20and%20return%20fares%20start%20from%20Dh3%2C995.%20Opt%20for%20the%203am%20flight%20and%20you%E2%80%99ll%20land%20at%206am%2C%20giving%20you%20the%20entire%20day%20to%20adjust%20to%20island%20time.%20%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERound%20trip%20speedboat%20transfers%20to%20the%20resort%20are%20bookable%20via%20Anantara%20and%20cost%20%24265%20per%20person.%20%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
