This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-16395533

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Militias clash in the centre of Libyan capital Tripoli Deadly clash of militias in Libyan capital Tripoli
(about 3 hours later)
Clashes have erupted in the centre of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Four people have been killed and at least five injured in a firefight which erupted earlier in the centre of the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
Residents reported hearing sustained gunfire and seeing casualties. The clash centred on an old intelligence building bombed by Nato in last year's uprising against ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi.
A BBC reporter saw roads blocked by armed groups and heard occasional volleys of gunfire on his way to the scene of the fight. A brigade from the city of Misrata tried to free prisoners held inside, leading to a confrontation with another armed group from Tripoli.
It appears to have been started when a militia tried to take over the building that used to house the intelligence services of former leader Muammar Gaddafi killed in October 2011. The casualties were from both brigades.
The fight now seems to be over, says the BBC's Mark Lowen in Tripoli. The gunfight broke out near the building between Zawiya and Saidi streets.
Local sources told the BBC there had been a clash between two brigades, one from the city of Misrata and one from Tripoli, centred on the old intelligence building which was bombed by Nato during last year's uprising, our reporter says.
The roads quickly reopened once the situation had calmed.The roads quickly reopened once the situation had calmed.
Some sources are talking of casualties, but the interior ministry has so far declined to confirm this, saying only that an official press release will be circulated later in the day. "I regret the incident. I don't want to go into details, but it was the result of a problem between Misrata thwars [revolutionaries] and members of the military council of Zawiya street," Abdul Hakim Belhaj, the head of the Tripoli military council, told a news conference.
In the absence of a national army or police force, armed brigades of former rebels still wield significant power here and control different parts of the country, our reporter says. "What happened is an irresponsible act and the situation is now under control. Since the afternoon, we have not heard any gunshots," he added.
There have been sporadic clashes between the groups in recent weeks, but the government has now begun a slow process of integrating them into new centralised structures to try to bring stability. It is yet another sign of the continuing security threat posed by the disparate militias comprising former rebels, says the BBC's Mark Lowen in Tripoli.
They still wield significant power in the absence of a national army or police.
But Libya's new government, under popular pressure, has now begun the process of disbanding the groups and integrating them within the defence and interior ministries, our correspondent says.
Tens of thousands of fighters still make up the various brigades, and sporadic clashes have broken out between them in recent weeks.
The transition from civil war to a secure, stable Libya remains slow and difficult and dealing with the militia problem is one of the key challenges ahead, our correspondent adds.