Libya: Families trapped as militias clash in western city of Zawiya

Clashes broke out between armed groups in Libya’s western city of Zawiya between armed groups late on Tuesday, trapping families inside residential neighbourhoods, medical officials and activists said.

Videos and images shared online showed heavy gunfire being exchanged between fighters and streets empty streets due to combat. Activists also circulated video clips showing fearful civilians stuck inside their homes appealing to authorities for help.

The Libyan Red Crescent in Zawiya issued pleas for the fighting to "stop immediately", and for a truce so emergency teams can evacuate families stuck in affected areas.

"We hope that the security authorities will cooperate with us, as well as the involved parties in this conflict. The families are crying out for help and it is not their fault," the NGO said as cited by the Turkish Anadolu agency.

Meanwhile, the Libyan Health Ministry’s Ambulance and Emergency Services warned that "the entirety of Zawiya's coastal road is a source of danger to citizens".

No injuries or deaths have been reported so far.

As of 21:50 GMT on Tuesday, no information was available concerning the identity of the fighters or the cause behind the clashes, Anadolu said, while the governing entity in western Libya, the Government of National Unity (GNU), did not publish any official statements on the matter.

Clashes took place along the main market and Bir Al-Ghanam Road, before extending to Al-Daman Street, the ambulance service said.

They later stated that a "safe corridor had been opened for the entry of emergency teams from the Zawiya Branch Ambulance Service, accompanied by the Red Crescent", and that they were preparing to enter the area.

The Red Crescent later placed blame on "all military and political parties" for the chaos, holding them responsible for the lives of citizens in Zawiya.

Zawiya, located 40 kilometres west of the capital Tripoli, has been the scene of numerous clashes between competing militias over the years. In May this year, one person was killed and 22 people were wounded, while schools were forced to close following fighting in the coastal city.

The clashes happened between militias allied with the government of Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the disputed Prime Minister of Libya under the Government of National Unity.

Militias often behave lawlessly and fight each other despite being technically allied with the Dbeibah government.

Libya has seen chaos and fighting over the years after the toppling of longtime dictator Muammar Al-Gaddafi in 2011 following a popular revolution that turned into an armed uprising.

Since 2014, the country has been divided by rival administrations – one based in Libya’s western capital of Tripoli, and the other in the eastern city of Benghazi.