The United Nations has called for urgent de-escalation in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, as rival gunmen exchanged fire in the city’s southern districts after the killing of a powerful militia leader and authorities imposed an emergency lockdown.
The appeal early on Tuesday came as residents reported hearing heavy gunfire and explosions across multiple neighbourhoods from about 9pm local time (19:00 GMT) on Monday.
Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina, reporting from Libya’s Misrata, said security sources had confirmed the killing of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, widely known as “Gheniwa”, who is the head of the powerful Stability Support Authority (SSA) militia.
Gunfire and clashes then consumed several parts of Tripoli.
Al-Kikli was one of the capital’s most influential militia leaders and had recently been involved in disputes with rival armed groups, including factions linked to Misrata. His SSA is under the Presidential Council that came to power in 2021 with the Government of National Unity (GNU) of Abdulhamid Dbeibah through a UN-backed process.
Traina said that at least six people have been wounded, although it remains unclear whether they are security force members or civilians.
In a statement shortly after the clashes began, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said it was “alarmed by the unfolding security situation in Tripoli, with intense fighting with heavy weaponry in densely populated civilian areas”.
UNSMIL added that it “calls on all parties to immediately cease fighting and restore calm, and reminds all parties of their obligations to protect civilians at all times”.
UNSMIL is alarmed by the unfolding security situation in Tripoli, with intense fighting with heavy weaponry in densely populated civilian areas.
The Mission calls on all parties to immediately cease fighting and restore calm, and reminds all parties of their obligations to… pic.twitter.com/SZ8oKgZ1p8— UNSMIL (@UNSMILibya) May 12, 2025
UNSMIL voiced support for local mediation efforts, particularly those led by elders and community leaders, emphasising the need to protect civilians amid mounting tensions.
Schools shut, residents told to stay indoors
The GNU’s Ministry of Internal Affairs urged residents to stay home and avoid movement, warning of further instability, while the Ministry of Education suspended classes across Tripoli on Tuesday, citing the deteriorating security situation.
GNU media platform said early on Tuesday that the defense ministry had fully taken control of Abu Salim neighbourhood.
“I heard heavy gunfire, and I saw red lights in the sky,” one resident told the Reuters news agency on the condition of anonymity.
Two others told Reuters that the gunfire was echoing all over their neighbourhoods of Abu Salim and Salah Eddin.
Videos and images online showed plumes of black smoke amid the sound of gunfire, as well as armed men in the streets and convoys entering the city.
Footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency captured the sound of medium-calibre gunfire in several neighbourhoods, including areas where the SSA militia is known to operate.
Several districts have seen what local sources describe as “suspicious military manoeuvres”, with convoys arriving from Az-Zawiyah, Zintan, and Misrata – seen by many as preparations for a possible showdown in the capital.
Al Jazeera’s Traina said the renewed clashes have prompted anger and worry.
“People are angry that every time these armed groups clash, civilians are caught in the crossfire,” he continued, adding that residents are demanding “accountability”.
“When these groups fight and people are killed, no one is held responsible. Locals want justice, and expect the authorities to hold those behind the violence accountable,” he said.
Libya plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich nation has been governed for most of the past decade by rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by an array of fighter groups and foreign governments.
