Fresh gunbattles broke out in Tripoli between the powerful Radaa force and the 444 Brigade, just a day after Libyan authorities declared the violence over.
Fresh gunbattles have erupted in the Libyan capital between two powerful armed groups, a security official said Wednesday – just a day after authorities declared the fighting over. Clashes flared between the Radaa force and the 444 Brigade in key areas of Tripoli, including the port, the source said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The official described the fighting as “urban warfare”, with intermittent clashes in residential areas involving light and medium weapons. In other areas, heavy weapons were being used to target rival positions. Libya has struggled to recover from years of unrest since the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi.
The country remains split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east, controlled by the Haftar family. On Monday night, heavy arms fire and explosions rocked several Tripoli districts, killing at least six people, according to authorities. Reports said Abdelghani al-Kikli, leader of the Support and Stability Apparatus which controls the southern district of Abu Salim, had also been killed at a facility controlled by the 444 Brigade.
Fighting now extended in southern and western Tripoli as Radaa and “groups supporting it came as reinforcements against the 444 Brigade”, the interior ministry source said. Another source told AFP groups were moving into the capital from neighbouring Zawiya in support of Radaa.
The 444 Brigade controls parts of southern Tripoli and is aligned with Dbeibah, whereas Radaa controls parts in the capital’s east and holds several key state facilities. On Tuesday, the Tripoli-based government said the fighting had been brought under control, and Dbeibah announced a string of executive orders including dissolving Radaa.
Dbeibah also said authorities were seizing or dissolving some bodies previously run by Tripoli armed groups other than the 444 Brigade. The United Nations mission in Libya said it was “deeply alarmed by escalating violence in densely populated neighbourhoods of Tripoli for the second night in a row”.
In a statement, it called for “an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in all areas, allowing safe corridors for the evacuation of civilians trapped in intense conflict zones”.
Killing of Libya militia leader sparks violent clashes in Tripoli
The killing of militia leader Abdelghani al-Kikli in Tripoli has triggered fierce clashes between rival armed groups. The killing of Abdelghani al-Kikli on Monday, head of Libya’s Support and Stability Apparatus and one of Tripoli’s most powerful militia leaders, has triggered intense fighting across the capital, leaving at least six people dead and plunging the city into a new wave of armed chaos by Tuesday morning.
Al-Kikli, also known as ‘Ghneiwa’, was shot dead late on Monday during a meeting at the Tekbali military camp in southeast Tripoli, according to security and medical sources cited by The New Arab‘s Arabic language edition, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. The meeting was reportedly convened to de-escalate mounting tensions among armed factions, but turned violent when guards from rival groups exchanged fire outside the gathering.
Al-Kikli and several of his escorts were killed in the shootout. Members of the 444th and 111th Brigades, both affiliated with the Ministry of Defence, were also reportedly present. Videos circulating on social media from inside Tekbali camp appear to show al-Kikli’s body alongside armed men believed to be part of his entourage.
Escalating tensions
By Tuesday morning, fighting had engulfed several areas in southern Tripoli, particularly Abu Salim and the adjacent Mashrou al-Hadhba district, where the Support and Stability Apparatus was headquartered. In the wake of the violence, Libya’s defence ministry declared operations in Abu Salim complete, with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah claiming the offensive demonstrated the state’s ability to “protect the homeland and preserve the dignity of citizens”.
The interior ministry issued multiple statements urging residents to remain indoors, while the health ministry declared a state of emergency across Tripoli’s hospitals. The clashes forced authorities to suspend flights at Mitiga International Airport, transferring aircraft to Misrata. Schools were also shut down across the capital, and streets in many districts remained deserted.
Ibrahim al-Khalifi, the mayor of Tripoli, confirmed that gunfire had largely subsided by early Tuesday but said movement in many neighbourhoods remained halted. Al-Kikli was a key player in Libya’s post-2011 armed landscape. A civilian before the 2011 uprising, he founded a militia in the Abu Salim district after Muammar Gaddafi’s fall.
His forces later played a central role in the 2015 Libya Dawn operation and were incorporated into official state structures in 2016 under the interior ministry. Under the Government of National Accord, al-Kikli’s influence grew, culminating in the formation of the Support and Stability Apparatus under the Presidency Council.
His power extended well beyond Tripoli into Gharyan to the west and Zliten to the east, and he was widely seen as one of the city’s four major militia commanders alongside the Special Deterrence Force, the 444th Brigade, and the 111th Brigade. His group played a leading role in the 2019–2020 “Volcano of Rage” operation that repelled warlord Khalifa Haftar’s attempt to capture Tripoli.
Libya remains divided between two rival governments, the UN-recognised administration based in Tripoli and a competing authority led by Haftar in Benghazi. The two sides have fought multiple times, most notably during Haftar’s 2019–2020 assault on the capital. Efforts to unify the country and hold national elections have repeatedly failed since Libya split politically in 2014, following the NATO-backed overthrow of Gaddafi in 2011. Attempts to consolidate authority through a single military or civilian structure have so far collapsed under competing factions and shifting allegiances.
Tensions had been mounting in the capital for days, reportedly due to a struggle over control of administrative buildings and influence over key state appointments. Videos shared by activists on Monday night showed convoys from Misrata’s Joint Force and Zintan-based units loyal to Interior Minister Imad Trabelsi moving toward Tripoli. These groups are aligned with the Government of National Unity (GNU) and appear to have taken part in raids targeting al-Kikli’s bases.
UN’s Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), expressed alarm over the situation, calling for “an immediate de-escalation and an end to provocative actions”. The US embassy in Libya echoed the call for restraint and shared the UN’s statement. Both urged armed groups to protect civilians and settle disputes through dialogue. The clashes come just days after the UN mission began consultations on electoral law proposals aimed at breaking Libya’s political deadlock.
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