Libyan armed factions clash on outskirts of Tripoli

Fighting has broken out between Libyan armed factions on the western outskirts of Tripoli, as forces aligned with the Government of National Unity (GNU) under Abdul Hamid al-Dabaiba further consolidated their control over the capital. Libyan oil production, a prize for the warring groups, has repeatedly been shut off. During last week’s fighting, a major Bashagha-aligned faction based in Zawiya was said to be among groups that were repulsed from the outskirts of the capital. In the southern Tripoli district of Ain Zara, a powerful faction that backed al-Dabaiba during last week’s fighting took over a security headquarters. Following last week’s fighting, Bashagha and al-Dabaiba visited Turkey, which helped the now-divided western factions fight off an eastern assault in 2020.