Hours following entering the Libyan capital, the Prime Minister’s office appointed by Parliament announced Fathi Bashagha He left Tripoli today, Tuesday, following clashes broke out between rival factions, according to Archyde.com.
Meanwhile, the Bashagha government said in a press statement that “Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha and a number of members of the government have left the capital, Tripoli, following their arrival yesterday, in the interest of the safety and security of citizens and to spare bloodshed,” following the “Al-Nawasi” battalion that received him was subjected to an armed attack by Militias loyal to the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdel Hamid Dabaiba.
Bashagha appeared inside the headquarters of the “Al-Nawasi” battalion in Tripoli, one of the largest armed militias in the capital, before he appeared in a video clip as he emerged in an armed convoy from Tripoli, under the protection of the 444th Brigade of the Ministry of Defense of the Dabaiba government, and amid the cheers of citizens who demanded him to leave.
armed attack
Meanwhile, the “Al-Nawasi” battalion of the Ministry of Interior of the Unity Government announced its welcome to Bashagha’s entry to the capital and its readiness to provide all support to his government.
Fathi Bashagha inside the headquarters of the Al-Nawasi Brigade
However, it noted that this move exposed its headquarters to an armed attack by the 166 militia loyal to the Dabaiba government and the Stabilization Support Service, forcing Bashagha to leave, amid the celebrations of the militia loyal to Dabaiba, who fired in the air.
This came following the Minister of Interior of the designated Libyan government, Issam Abu Zariba, had confirmed earlier today to Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath, that Bashagha had entered Tripoli.
Drones are on alert
It is reported that prior to the arrival of Bashagha, the head of the unity government ordered Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba Putting the drones on alert, ready for any emergency and using live ammunition once morest any suspicious movements.
In a letter to the commander of the Air Force Corner in his government, Al-Dabaiba demanded to declare alert in the drone flight operations room, and to monitor any armed movements within the greater Tripoli area (a concentration point west of Jisr 17, south of Jisr al-Sabi`ah and east of al-Quwai`a Gate). He also authorized the operations room to “deal directly with live ammunition with any suspicious movements that would destabilize and prove that with aerial photography and coordinates.”
Abdel Hamid al-Dabaiba (Archyde.com)
Security tensions?
Dabaiba set the duration of the alert for a week, starting from Monday, without explaining the reasons behind this alert.
However, it is believed that this is related to the security tensions that Tripoli and western Libyan cities witnessed during the past days.
armed confrontations
Dabaiba’s decision came hours following armed confrontations took place in the Janzour area, southwest of Tripoli, between the “Farsa Janzour” militia of the Ministry of Defense and the “55th Brigade” of the “Stability Support” militia affiliated with the Ministry of Interior, which resulted in deaths, injuries and material losses in shops and buildings, simultaneously. With other confrontations in the city of Sabratha.
It is noteworthy that these repeated clashes in Tripoli and some cities in western Libya embarrassed the Dabaiba government, which is facing internal and external pressures to relinquish power in favor of the Bashagha government appointed by Parliament.