We don't have to see anyone in person," he told AFP over WhatsApp. Syria to Libya to the EU © Jihad KACHAAMI / AFP"People are selling their homes and leaving." "Every six months, we use the fighters' rotation to send people with them," the recruiter told AFP. But the Daraa smuggler told AFP this was not a problem: "In Libya, like in Syria, paying off security officials can solve everything." Migrants told AFP a smuggler's associate -- sometimes a security officer -- escorted them out of Benghazi's Benina airport.

(CNN) — At least 27 people were killed and 106 others injured when clashes broke out between two powerful armed factions in the southern Libyan capital of Tripoli, the country’s emergency services said in a statement Tuesday. He was apprehended by a rival faction, the Special Deterrence Force, which controls the airport. The clashes ceased late on Tuesday following an agreement reached with the UN-recognized Government of National Unity to transfer Hamza to a neutral party, as reported by state news agency LANA. The fighting is considered the most severe of this year with images showing smoke rising above the capital following the overnight battles. The Special Deterrence Force and the 444 Brigade are considered the strongest military forces in the Libyan capital, according to Reuters.

According to local media, fighting broke out between the 444 brigade and the Special Deterrence Force late on Monday evening. OPSGroup, an organisation for the aviation industry, said late on Monday that a large number of aircraft departed the capital due to the clashes. Inbound flights were diverting to the nearby city of Misrata, it said. Longstanding divisions have sparked several incidents of violence in Tripoli in recent years, although most have been over in a matter of hours. The U.S. and British embassies in Libya both issued online statements expressing their concerns about the escalating violence around Tripoli.

Two powerful armed factions battled in Libya's capital on Tuesday in the city's worst violence this year, but one side released a detained commander from the other, two sources said, raising hopes for an end to the deadly clashes. The Special Deterrence Force and the 444 Brigade are two of the strongest military forces in Tripoli and their fighting from late on Monday rocked districts across the capital. The fighting began after the Special Deterrence Force, which controls Tripoli's main Mitiga airport detained 444 Brigade commander Mahmoud Hamza as he attempted to travel. Sporadic fighting has also this year rocked the city of Zawiya, west of the capital. Hamza, a former officer in the Special Deterrence Force, has previously been a key figure in mediating an end to tension between other armed factions.

TodayPartly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

The Special Deterrence Force and the 444 Brigade are two of the strongest military forces in Tripoli and their fighting from late on Monday rocked districts across the capital. The fighting began after the Special Deterrence Force, which controls Tripoli's main Mitiga airport, detained 444 Brigade commander Mahmoud Hamza as he attempted to travel. However, there has been little progress towards a lasting political solution to the conflict and on the ground armed factions that have gained official status and financing continue to wield power. Hamza, a former officer in the Special Deterrence Force, has previously been a key figure in mediating an end to tension between other armed factions. Hamza was handed to the Stabilisation Support Apparatus upon his release, a Special Deterrence Force source and local media said.

CAIRO (AP) — Deadly clashes between rival militias in Libya’s capital killed at least 27 people and left residents trapped in their homes on Tuesday, unable to escape the violence, medical authorities said. There were at least four people dead but it was not immediately clear if they were militiamen or civilians, an official said. The clashes erupted late on Monday between militiamen from the 444 brigade and the Special Deterrence Force, according to local media reports. Over 100 people were injured in the fighting, Libya’s Emergency Medicine and Support Center, a medical body that is deployed during humanitarian disasters and wars, said early Wednesday. Both of Libya’s rival administrations also condemned the fighting in separate statements Tuesday.

Clashes erupt amid sounds of gunfire in Libya’s Tripoli, residents say, after armed faction leader reportedly detained. Clashes have broken out in the Libyan capital Tripoli, residents said, after the reported seizure of a powerful armed faction commander by a rival force. Any sustained fighting between the two factions, the most powerful in the capital after a period of military consolidation, could pose significant risks. Monday’s clashes are already the worst to hit Tripoli for months, though there has been sporadic violence between armed factions in some other parts of northwest Libya in recent weeks. Reuters news agency reported armed men had closed a major road in the Ain Zara district, near where the clashes were taking place.

During your trial you will have complete digital access to FT.com with everything in both of our Standard Digital and Premium Digital packages. Standard Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and expert opinion. Premium Digital includes access to our premier business column, Lex, as well as 15 curated newsletters covering key business themes with original, in-depth reporting. You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here.

The Mission reminds all parties involved of their responsibility under international law to protect civilians. The Mission is also concerned about the possible impact of these developments on the ongoing efforts to cultivate a security environment that is conducive to advancing the political process, including preparations for national elections. UNSMIL calls for immediate de-escalation and an end to the ongoing armed clashes. All parties must preserve the security gains achieved in recent years and address differences through dialogue. The Mission reminds all actors of their responsibility to preserve the prevailing relative stability and to create a conducive environment for holding elections to fulfil the aspirations of the Libyan people.’’

Intense fighting between rival military factions in Libya’s capital resumes for a second day amid reports of injuries and deaths. The military commander at the centre of clashes between rival militias in the Libyan capital has been freed, a day after his detention triggered the worst violence Tripoli has seen this year. Long-standing divisions have sparked several incidents of violence in Tripoli in recent years, although most have been over in a matter of hours. “Hamza has been quite formidable” in the negotiations with rival military forces, El Gomati said. The embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom in Libya both issued online statements expressing their concerns about the escalating violence around Tripoli.

Smoke billows amid clashes between armed groups affiliated with Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) in the Libyan capital on August 15, 2023. The clashes between the influential 444 Brigade and the Al-Radaa Force, or Special Deterrence Force, erupted on Monday night and carried over into Tuesday, an interior ministry official said. The fighting was still underway on Tuesday and had forced "the closure of roads around Mitiga airport", according to the official. Libya has been plagued by divisions fuelled by the proliferation of armed groups with shifting allegiances since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising. The 444 Brigade is affiliated with Libya's defence ministry and is reputed to be the North African country's most disciplined.

Libya saw overnight its worst clashes in the capital Tripoli so far this year, sparking concerns about battles spilling over to the OPEC member’s oil-producing and exporting infrastructure. The most powerful and heavily armed factions in Tripoli fought in several districts of the Libyan capital on Monday evening and Tuesday morning local time, with casualties reported. Due to the unrest, Libya is exempted from the OPEC+ deal and is not obliged to reduce oil production when the alliance decides to intervene in the market with output cuts. Just last month, Libyan oil output was lower than in June, after Sharara, Libya’s largest oilfield, was shut down for a few days as a result of protests from the Zawi tribe over the kidnapping of Faraj Bumatari, a former finance minister. Haftar’s threat followed a similar threat issued by the eastern government in late June.

Fighting broke out between the 444 brigade and the Special Deterrence Force late Monday evening, according to local media. OPSGroup, an organization for the aviation industry, said late Monday that a large number of aircraft departed the capital due to the clashes. Inbound flights were diverting to the nearby city of Misrata, it said. Longstanding divisions have sparked several incidents of violence in Tripoli in recent years, although most have been over in a matter of hours. The U.S. and British embassies in Libya both issued online statements expressing their concerns about the escalating violence around Tripoli.

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, CanadaZip Code