On the second day of the deadly conflict, the Libyan United Nations identified government had begun to claim control in the western part of the country as it was reportedly killed Abdelghani al-Kikli, also known as Gheniwa, a powerful militia leader.
The Emergency Medicine and Support Centre confirmed that fierce fighting broke out in the capital the night before and early morning, six bodies were retrieved from near Tripoli on Tuesday. Explosions and gunfire echoed in the southern part of the city as rival armed factions clashed for hours.
A senior government and health official told the Associated Press that the battle originated from Al-Kikli, commander of SSA's stable support bureau commander.
Al-Kikli was killed at a meeting at the 444 Brigade Base, a state media said, and the group was loyal to Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
Over the past decade, Amnesty International has committed Amnesty International crimes and other serious violations of rights.
Libyan analyst Jalel Harchaoui told AFP that Al-Kikli had ambushed and cited relatives. The analyst added: “Among Tripoli’s most successful armed group leaders, he is known for eliminating the Prime Minister.
On Tuesday, Dbeibah announced that the military operation had dismantled "irregular" armed groups. The move was seen as a direct effort to redefine the authority of the state and strengthen his position in the capital.
"Gheniwa is actually the King of Tripoli," Tarek Megerisi of the European Council on Diplomatic Relations told Reuters. "His companions control internal security agencies... cash transfers from central banks... numerous listed companies and ministries."
Al-Kikli's troops reportedly operated the prison and had an impact on government departments and financial institutions, highlighting a major shift in the balance of power and his death.
The conflict also went beyond the capital, fighting between rival groups and rival militias between the main coastal city of Misrata in the east. Authorities imposed a temporary curfew and then declared peace to be restored.
Libya, the leading oil producer for migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean and the main avenue for refugees across the Mediterranean, maintaining a profound division between the unrecognized government of the West and rivals that align with military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Foreign powers, including Turkiye, Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, continue to support the ongoing power struggle.
The nervous and calm in the entire capital
Dbeibah said the "military operation" restored peace and advocated the authority of the government. “The work done today shows that official institutions can protect the homeland and retain the dignity of their citizens,” he wrote on X.
Schools in the capital are closed until further notice.
The UN mission in Libya warned of the use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas, warning that “attacks on civilians and civilian objects may constitute war crimes” and called on all parties to “stop fighting immediately.”
Libya fell into chaos after it collapsed in 2011 and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. For much of the past decade, the oil-rich country has been ruled by most of Libya's rivals, each with rivals in eastern and western Libya, and each with a group of fighters and foreign governments.
