Libyan tribal mediators end armed clashes near Tripoli

TRIPOLI: Mediators in Libya have managed to end clashes between armed groups that rocked the city of Zawiya west of the capital Tripoli for 24 hours, a city official told AFP.

The gun battles, which left one dead and several wounded, broke out Friday night and led the local UN mission on Saturday to call for “an immediate end to the hostilities”.

The violence in Zawiya, 40-kms west of Tripoli, ended “thanks to mediation by the town´s notables and tribal elders,” said the official who requested anonymity.

Libya is still struggling to recover from years of war and chaos after the 2011 Nato-backed uprising that overthrew longtime dictator Moamer Qadhafi.