Armed clashes erupted in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, on Monday evening following reports of the assassination of a senior military commander.
According to Al Jazeera, Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, head of the UN-backed government’s Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), was killed in a firefight in southern Tripoli. The incident reportedly took place inside the headquarters of the 444th Combat Brigade after “failed negotiations.”
Local media reported fighting and troop movements in the Abu Salim and Mashrou neighborhoods. Al Jazeera cited witnesses as saying that soldiers from the 111th and 444th brigades stormed the SSA headquarters, with gunfire and explosions heard in various parts of the city.
The extent of the fighting and casualties remains unclear. Graphic images circulating on social media appear to show multiple bodies. Al Jazeera reported that at least six people were injured.
According to Al Arabiya, militias from Misrata and other cities began moving toward Tripoli last week.
The SSA was established in 2021 by the Government of National Unity to maintain security in the capital and combat organized crime.
Fighting has erupted in the Libyan city of Tripoli following the assassination of the head of the Stability Support Apparatus. Multiple key installations appear to have been captured by different groups in the middle of the chaos. The airport has been closed.#Breaking#Libyapic.twitter.com/a6OeXNXS43
— גשש צבאי (@tzvai_tracker) May 12, 2025
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said it was “closely monitoring reports of the military build-up and escalating tensions in Tripoli and the broader western region.”
“We urgently call on all parties to immediately de-escalate the situation, refrain from any provocative actions, and resolve disputes through dialogue,” the mission said in a statement.
🇱🇾 #Libia: tras el asesinato de Ghani al Kikli, alias Ghniwa, jefe del Aparato de Apoyo a la Estabilidad estallan combates en Tripoli. pic.twitter.com/sDW8qNa0K9
— Realidad internacional (@realidad_int) May 12, 2025
Libya descended into civil war in 2011 after a NATO-backed uprising that resulted in the death of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The fighting eventually led to a stalemate between rival governments based in Tripoli, in the western part of the country, and Tobruk in the east.
The last major clashes between militia groups in Tripoli occurred in August 2023, leaving 55 people dead and nearly 150 injured. In February 2025, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Adel Juma survived an assassination attempt.
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