55 killed in clashes; captured Libyan commander rejoins unit

According to representatives of the commander’s organisation, a Libyan factional commander whose capture sparked the bloodiest fighting in Tripoli in years—which resulted in 55 deaths and 146 injuries—was released to his unit on Wednesday.

The Special Deterrence Force detained Mahmoud Hamza, the commander of the potent 444 Brigade, on Monday as he attempted to leave Mitiga airport in Tripoli, which is under their control.

The SDF late on Tuesday turned over Hamza to the Stabilisation Support Apparatus, a third faction, in accordance with a settlement mediated by city elders. Late on Wednesday, according to two 444 Brigade officers, that group released him to them.

Photos that one of the 444 Brigade officials shared showed Hamza greeting returning fighters with hugs while wearing his uniform. As word of his anticipated release spread on Wednesday night, police officers blasted weapons into the air.

After Hamza was captured, fighting broke out between the SDF and 444 Brigade throughout the capital late Monday.

The Tripoli health officials reported the number of individuals killed in the conflict on Wednesday. They also stated that 146 people had been hurt.

Airlines that stopped using Mitiga airport on Tuesday—where some of the worst fighting occurred—began using it again on Wednesday, they claimed.

Police and other security officers that remained impartial in the clashes entered the regions where the fighting occurred as part of the agreement declared by the elders.

Since the main eastern and western sides agreed to a ceasefire in 2020, major fighting in Libya has ceased. But the majority of the country is still controlled by competing factions, and a sustainable resolution to the conflict that has raged since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 seems unlikely.

Reuters