Clashes erupted on Sunday in Zawiya, a western Libyan city, leading to residents being trapped in their homes and fires breaking out at the country’s second-largest oil refinery, according to officials.
The violence involved gunmen affiliated with the Shurafaa tribe and forces loyal to warlord Mohamed Kushlaf, who was sanctioned by the UN Security Council in 2018 for alleged human trafficking activities, local media reported. The cause of the clashes remains unclear, though such incidents are frequent in western Libya, where militias and armed groups hold significant sway under the administration of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
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Libya, rich in oil reserves, has been split between rival factions in the east and west since the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The ensuing chaos allowed militias to consolidate power, particularly in Tripoli and western regions.
The fighting on Sunday forced the closure of a key coastal road linking Zawiya with other western cities and led to the suspension of classes. Residents described the situation as dire, with indiscriminate gunfire hitting homes and buildings, spreading fear among civilians.
Ahmed Abu Hussein, a local resident, shared that many families were confined to their homes as the clashes spread to densely populated neighborhoods.
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The Libyan National Oil Corporation reported “severe damage” to storage tanks at the Zawiya oil refinery, with bullets igniting fires that firefighters managed to control despite ongoing fighting. The company declared a state of emergency and invoked force majeure, a legal clause freeing it from contractual obligations due to extraordinary events.
In August, armed clashes between militias in Tripoli resulted in at least nine deaths and 16 injuries. Currently, Libya is governed by Dbeibah’s Tripoli-based administration in the west and a rival government led by Prime Minister Ossama Hammad in the east, which is aligned with military commander Khalifa Hifter.