Six dead in clashes between armed groups in Tripoli

At least six people, including a powerful armed group leader, were killed during violent clashes in Tripoli overnight between rival groups, ending before dawn on Tuesday with announcements of a return to "a stable situation."

"Six bodies were recovered from the scene of the clashes around Abou Salim," a popular district in the south of the Libyan capital, the Emergency and Support Center said Tuesday.

No toll was given for any injured following the heavy weaponry clashes -- machine guns and rocket launchers -- which lasted several hours starting at 9 p.m. (7 p.m. GMT) Monday.

Media outlets quickly announced the death of Abdelghani "Gheniwa" al-Kikli, head of the Stability Support Authority (SSA), an influential armed group based in Abou Salim. The SSA chief had arrived for mediation at the Tekbali barracks, the stronghold of the "Brigade 444," another powerful armed group affiliated with the government of Abdelhamid Dbeibah, according to local media.

Described by expert Jalel Harchaoui as one of the "most effective militia leaders in Tripoli," "Gheniwa" reportedly fell into an ambush according to his family. He had become too powerful after "installing loyalists in key positions within banks, telecommunications, administrations, and even in high diplomatic posts," the analyst said.

Riven by divisions since the fall and death of dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya is governed by two rival executives: the West's Dbeibah, recognized by the U.N., and another in the East, controlled by Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

Despite a relative return to calm in recent years, power struggles frequently pit a multitude of armed groups against each other, especially active in Tripoli and the West.

Assuring on Tuesday that the "situation is safe and stable," the Interior Ministry invited "citizens and officials to return to their posts."

AFP images showed men in uniform and armored vehicles positioned at key points, notably at Kikli's former headquarters.

Schools and the university, closed Tuesday as a precaution, will reopen Wednesday. Flights resumed at Tripoli airport after some were diverted to Misrata, 200 km east of the capital.

"Less fragmented"

The death of "Gheniwa," who was, according to the Atlantic Council's Emad Badi, at the head of "Tripoli's oldest post-revolutionary armed group," is expected to bolster Dbeibah's grip on western Libya.

Jalel Harchaoui predicts "a less fragmented and more monolithic Tripoli, led by a more assertive Dbeibah, supported by a powerful armed coalition," akin to the East held firmly by the Haftar clan.

Post-combat, the government applauded a "successfully conducted military operation." According to media, convoys from Misrata, Dbeibah's hometown, had arrived in Tripoli for days.

"What has been accomplished shows that regular institutions are capable of protecting the homeland and preserving citizens' dignity," Dbeibah declared, thanking the Defense and Interior ministries for their mobilization.

This is "a decisive step towards eliminating irregular groups and establishing the principle that Libya is for state institutions only," he asserted on X.

The death of Gheniwa will lead to a "major reconfiguration of Tripoli's security landscape" as "the SSA controlled crucial access points in the south of the capital and was considered the most powerful force," according to Sadeq Institute expert Anas al-Gomati. His "elimination" makes the Dbeibah camp the "main intermediary in the West after neutralizing or co-opting potential rivals," the analyst said.

On Tuesday, Dbeibah announced the Interior Ministry's takeover of agencies run by the SSA, like the Agency for Combating Irregular Immigration, criticized for mistreating sub-Saharan migrants transiting through Libya to reach Europe.

He also abolished the Judicial Security Department -- headed by Osama Almasri Najim, wanted by the International Criminal Court for murder, torture, and sexual violence - and appointed General Mostafa al-Waheshi as head of the Internal Security Authority (ASI) in place of Kikli's influential right-hand man, Lotfi al-Harari.