Tripoli Tremors: Power Shifts Amid Intense Clashes

Following the death of a key militia leader, intense clashes erupted in Tripoli, Libya, signaling a power shift among rival factions. The fighting, which resumed after a brief truce since 2020, highlights continued instability and foreign influence in Libya's complex political landscape.

Intense clashes rocked Tripoli for two consecutive nights, alarming the Libyan capital after the killing of a major militia leader. Monday's incident intensified fighting between rival factions, prompting the United Nations' Libya mission to call for an immediate ceasefire in densely populated neighborhoods.

The unrest could bolster Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, the prime minister of Libya's Government of National Unity, who is backed by Turkey. Since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been mired in division, with a 2020 truce marking a fragile pause in major warfare.

Libya, a significant energy exporter and a migrant waypoint to Europe, faces foreign interests from countries like Turkey, Russia, and Egypt. The recent clashes see Dbeibah's allies, the 444 and 111 Brigades, consolidating power as they seize territory from the defeated Stabilisation Support Apparatus led by the slain Abdulghani Kikli.

(With inputs from agencies.)