As a result of clashes between armed groups in the city of Al-Zawiya in western Libya, five people were killed and 13 were injured.

And local media reported that “heavy weapons clashes erupted between two factions linked to the Ministries of Defense and the Interior in the center of the city, 40 kilometers west of the capital Tripoli.”

A security source told AFP that “fighting erupted after a member of one of the two groups was killed by a supporter of the other group over a dispute over the sale and purchase of smuggled fuel, which is very common.” in this city near the border with Iran “Tunisia”.

For its part, the UN Mission in Libya expressed “serious concern over the armed clashes in Zawiya.”

In a statement, he condemned “the use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas”, reaffirming the call for “the unconditional need to protect civilians”.

These clashes come at a time when the North African country is facing a major political crisis amid chronic instability characterized by frequent clashes between armed factions.

Two governments have been vying for power since March: one based in Tripoli and led by Abdel Hamid Dabaiba since 2021, and the other led by Fathi Pashaga and backed by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, leader of the East.