By Hamdi Yildiz
TRIPOLI (AA) – Libya's UN-backed unity government declared a state of emergency in the capital Tripoli and its outskirts over the clashes between rival militias.
The decision came after a total of 38 people were killed in the violence that broke out between militias aligned with the UN-backed unity government in southeastern Tripoli since last Sunday.
The violence erupted after the Defense Ministry-affiliated 7th Infantry Brigade accused the Tripoli Revolutionary Brigade, which is aligned with the Interior Ministry of attacking its positions in southern Tripoli.
In a statement, the government said: “A state of emergency has been declared in and around the capital city of Tripoli, taking into account the public interests and the possible dangers of the present situation. ”
Libya has been dogged by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.
Since then, Libya’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power — one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli — and a host of heavily-armed militia groups.
