Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

12 dead, dozens injured as fighting erupts in Libya

12 dead, dozens injured as fighting erupts in Libya

Intense fighting between rival militant groups has left at least 23 dead and 140 injured, officials say

Intense fighting broke out in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Saturday night. The city has since been engulfed by violence, according to witnesses cited by international media. The violence has claimed the lives of at least 23 people, the Tripoli-based Libyan Health Ministry said, calling it “preliminary” figures. It is also unclear whether those killed were combatants or civilians.

The fighting has also left at least 140 people injured, the ministry added. Photos and videos that surfaced on social media show plumes of black smoke billowing over the city as armed personnel and military hardware moved through its streets. Several videos also purportedly showed residential buildings being hit by artillery fire. Shooting and blasts could be heard on some videos.



Some media already described the fighting as the worst in two years, during which the war-torn nation has seen relative peace. Two governments – the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) under Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah and its rival administration led by Fathi Bashagha supported by the Libyan parliament based in the eastern city of Tobruk – are still vying for power in the country.


Clashes erupted on Saturday night as one of the major Trlipoli-based militant groups assaulted a base held by another group supporting a different government. The militants have been using small arms as well as machine guns and mortars during the fighting.


According to Reuters, major forces, including hundreds of vehicles, are now entering the city from several sides, including west, east and south. The forces are said to be supporting the parliament-backed government of Bashagha. Yet, it is unclear if he seeks to mount an offensive on the Libyan capital and overthrow al-Dbeibah by force. Both leaders have already accused each other of disrupting the political negotiations that were expected to help the warring parties reach an agreement.


Bashagha is also supported by the Libyan eastern commander, Khalifa Haftar, who still has close ties to the Tobruk-based parliament. Haftar sought to launch his own offensive against Tripoli back in 2019 but his attack eventually failed, leading to a 2020 ceasefire and a UN-backed peace process.

The UN Libya mission expressed its concern at the shelling of civilian districts during clashes and called for an immediate ceasefire. Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 NATO-backed coup ousted the nation’s long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi, who was later murdered. The nation has been split between the eastern and western governments since 2014. The UN-backed peace process envisioned national elections scheduled for December 2021 but the idea was abandoned amid disputes over the vote. The development has seen tensions rising between the two rival powers again.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
×