Seven killed as fight to control Libya continues

At least seven people were killed in clashes between tribesmen and forces loyal to Libya's unrecognised government on Wednesday, an army officer said.

The violence which erupted in the village of Touebiya, 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the capital, stemmed from a failed burglary.

Tribesmen attacked the village and burnt down homes, according to Colonel Abderrazaq al-Kharmani, an officer with forces that support the unrecognised government in Tripoli.

"We seized one of their vehicles, destroyed another and killed seven of their fighters," he told AFP.

Kharmani said the confrontation broke out a day after a member of the tribal forces had been beaten to death with a stick by a woman as he tried to rob her home in the village.

The tribesmen responded by attacking the village in an attempt to avenge his death, according to the officer.

Two rival governments are seeking to control Libya after the country descended into political chaos and insecurity following the 2011 revolution that ousted Muammar Gaddafi.