Libya: Six killed in Tripoli clashes after killing of militia leader
The killing of the head of one of Libya’s most powerful militias, which has been accused of abusing asylum seekers and faced allegations of crimes against humanity, has triggered armed clashes in Tripoli, resulting in at least six deaths. Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, better known as Gheniwa, the commander of Support Force Apparatus SSA, one of Tripoli’s powerful armed groups, based in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, was killed on Monday night at the headquarters of the 444th Combat Brigade of the Libyan army, a source in one of the country’s security forces told Al Wasat television. Kikli, one of the capital’s most influential militia leaders, had recently been involved in disputes with rival armed groups, including factions linked to the city of Misrata. His SSA is under the Presidential Council that came to power in 2021 with the government of national unity (GNU) of Abdul Hamid Dbeibah through a UN-backed process. Armed clashes erupted overnight and gunfire echoed in the city centre and other parts of Tripoli after reports of Kikli’s death. Libya’s Emergency Medicine and Support Centre said: “Six bodies have been retrieved from the sites of clashes around Abu Salim. The GNU’s interior ministry called on citizens to stay at home “for their own safety”. After the ministry’s call, drivers started speeding and honking in many Tripoli streets. One man told Reuters: “I heard heavy gunfire and I saw red lights in the sky.” . Other residents reported gunfire echoing in their neighbourhoods of Abu Salim and Salah Eddin. Follow link for full story...