Armed Clashes in the City of Ajilat in Western Libya

A cautious calm prevailed on Sunday morning in the city of Ajilat, in western Libya, following violent armed clashes that happened the previous night in several neighbourhoods of the city, located approximately 80 kilometres northwest of the capital, Tripoli.

Local Libyan media reported that the clashes had stopped by this morning, while videos shared by Libyan activists on social media showed the continued presence of militias in several areas of the city, situated about 90 kilometres from the Tunisian border.

Earlier, the Libyan News Agency (WAL) reported that violent clashes broke out on Saturday night in different parts of Ajilat. Today, the agency quoted its correspondent, stating that the clashes were concentrated along the road connecting Ajilat to the cities of Sabratha and Mellitah, especially near the so-called “Bin Youssef Gate,” located within the Al-Jadida municipality of Ajilat.

The Libyan News Agency did not identify the parties involved in the clashes. Nevertheless, other Libyan media outlets, including Bawabat Al-Wasat, reported that the clashes erupted between an armed group affiliated with the “103rd Infantry Battalion,” known as “Al-Sala’a,” and another group linked to “Hatem Al-Fehri.”

No comments were issued by the government, security forces, or local authorities regarding the clashes in the “Bin Youssef Gate” area, Al-Jadida, and Jinan Attia. These confrontations involved the use of light, medium, and heavy weaponry within certain residential neighbourhoods.

Such clashes between armed groups have repeatedly emerged in the western region. In mid-December, similar confrontations took place in the city of Zawiya, about 45 kilometres from Ajilat, between Muhammad Kashlaf’s group, known as “Al-Qasab,” and another group from the Al-Shurafa tribe. These clashes resulted in human and material losses, including the burning of several tanks at the Zawiya oil refinery.

Earlier this month, the military region of the western coast, affiliated with the Presidential Council, announced a military operation in the cities of the region, particularly in Zawiya, aiming to target “smuggling and criminal strongholds.”