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By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
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Rival gunman exchanged fire in Libya's capital following the killing of a local militia leader in clashes which prompted international calls for calm.
Following the night of violence, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday that security had been restored.
The clashes followed the killing of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, also known as "Gheniwa," who is the head of the powerful Stability Support Authority (SSA) militia.
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The SSA is under the Presidential Council, which came to power in 2021 with the Government of National Unity (GNU) through a United Nations-recognized process.
The United Nations Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), which Newsweek has contacted for comment, has called for a de-escalation on Tuesday after heavy gunfire and explosions rocked Tripoli's southern districts on Monday evening, Al Jazeera reported.
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Why It matters
Libya is recovering from years of unrest after a 2011 revolt that led to the fall of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
A 2020 ceasefire brought some peace but the North African country remains divided, with the internationally recognized GNU ruling in Tripoli and the northwest and the Government of National Stability in power in Benghazi to the east.
As factions vie for control over Libya's oil and gas reserves, the latest clashes add to fragility in the country. The instability also comes as President Donald Trump's administration considers plans to deport migrants to Libya from the United States, according to CNN.
What To know
After Libyan television reported the death of Kikli, heavy arms fire and explosions were reported in Tripoli from 9 p.m. Monday as unverified video shared on social media show nighttime footage of the clashes.
The violence broke out in the southern suburbs between armed groups from the capital and rivals from Misrata, a port city 125 miles east, Agence France Presse reported.
Schools in some districts of the capital and its suburbs would be closed on Tuesday until further notice and authorities have urged residents to stay indoors.
The GNU's Health Ministry told local hospitals and medical centers in Tripoli to prepare for emergencies and the government's Interior Ministry called on citizens to stay at home "for their own safety."
UNSMIL said it was "alarmed" by the security situation in Tripoli, given the intense fighting in densely populated civilian areas.
The 444th Brigade, a unit under Libya's Defense Ministry, was involved in the clashes with the apparatus forces. The ministry confirmed that its military operation to contain the clashes "ended successfully," the Anadalou news agency reported.
On Tuesday, Dbeibeh said that calm had been restored, commending the Interior and Defense Ministries as he called for an end the presence of "irregular groups" in the country.
What people are saying
United Nations Mission in Libya said on X it "is alarmed by the unfolding security situation in Tripoli, with intense fighting with heavy weaponry in densely populated civilian areas."
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh on X: "I commend the Ministries of Interior and Defense, and all members of the army and police, for the major achievement in restoring security and asserting the authority of the state in the capital."
What happens next
Dbeibeh's announcement that calm had been restored will be followed by speculation over whether further violence from the "irregular groups" he condemned will start up again.
Update 05/13/25, 4: a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information.
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