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Libya militia takes control of Tripoli airport Libyan government regains control of Tripoli airport
(about 2 hours later)
A heavily armed militia has taken over a runway at Libya's main airport in the capital, Tripoli, demanding the release of a leader who went missing on Sunday. Libyan forces have regained control of the main airport in Tripoli, after an armed militia overran the runway demanding their leader's release.
But as negotiations failed to progress, security forces and militiamen from other brigades entered the airport vowing to oust the group by force. Dozens of the militiamen who drove armoured trucks onto the runway forcing flight diversions have been arrested, Libya's deputy interior minister said.
The al-Awfia brigade earlier occupied the airport runway with armoured vehicles, forcing flight diversions. Earlier, gunfire was heard when troops and other militias entered the airport to oust the brigade.
Gunfire was heard and correspondents say the situation is developing fast. The al-Awfia brigade had refused to leave until their demands were met.
The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says it is unclear if gunmen are firing at one another or in the air. It is unclear exactly how the stand-off was resolved and whether the government made concessions to the brigade.
Dozens of militiamen from the al-Awfia group have been occupying the airport for hours. The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli earlier witnessed armoured vehicles carrying security forces and militiamen from various armed brigades entering the airport to evict the occupying force.
But our correspondent witnessed about 30 armoured vehicles carrying a mixture of security forces and militiamen from various armed brigades entering the airport. There have been no reports of casualties, although Omar Khadrawi, Libya's deputy interior minister, said a hangar had been blown up and a field set alight.
'No progress' "The authorities have complete control over the airport," Mr Khadrawi told journalists in Tripoli.
The al-Awfia group is refusing to leave until its demand for a senior commander to be released is met. 'Commander kidnapped'
The situation at the airport is volatile and developing quickly. As we were leaving, we saw about 30 armoured vehicles heading rapidly into the airport. We pulled away from the airport near sunset as dozens of armoured vehicles - pick-up trucks mounted with heavy artillery and young men standing on them like cowboys in an old Western - swept in.
The trucks were carrying a mixture of national army personnel, members of militias such as the Tripoli Brigade and armed men from a group called the Supreme Security Council. Some chanted "God is Great" as they sped down towards the runway. Others encouraged us to leave, saying they couldn't be held responsible for any gunfire coming our way.
One member of the Tripoli Brigade said they were moving in to take out the militia by force as negotiations had failed. Mohamed, a young man from the Tripoli brigade, told me his brigade and other government forces were moving in to remove the militia occupying the runway by force: "I want go inside too," he cheerfully declared.
There was a lot of gunfire and as we were moving away, one bullet flew right past us. A couple of hours later, Mohamed spoke to me on the phone. "Everything is OK now," he said.
But it is unclear whether al-Awfia's commander has been kidnapped or is being held for questioning by the government. The group, from the town of Tahrouna in western Libya, had been protesting against the detention of one of their senior leaders on Sunday.
The brigade has placed a pick-up truck mounted with an anti-aircraft gun underneath each of the six planes on the tarmac, our correspondent says. It is unclear whether al-Awfia's commander has been kidnapped or is being held for questioning by the government.
"They are on the runway, in the car park, everywhere," an official told Reuters news agency. "One of their leaders yesterday was coming to Tripoli with two tanks, and at an inspection point they found no documents... so they took the guns and tanks from him and he returned back," Mohammed el Harezi, a spokesman for the Libyan government, told the BBC.
A representative from the western town of Tarhouna, where the brigade is based, is at the airport to negotiate with the rebels and convince them to give up their action. "Then suddenly this guy, he was kidnapped, he disappeared. So this is the group who supported him. They came to the airport asking for his release and they thought he might be in the airport area," he added.
But there is no sign of progress in the negotiations. The spokesman said that the force agreed to leave after negotiations.
Airport sources told the BBC that at least three airlines have cancelled their flights. The brigade had placed a pick-up truck mounted with an anti-aircraft gun underneath each of the six planes on the tarmac, our correspondent says.
Airport sources told the BBC that at least three airlines had to cancel their flights.
Several international airlines have resumed flights to Libya since the end of the conflict which toppled Muammar Gaddafi.Several international airlines have resumed flights to Libya since the end of the conflict which toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
Libya's interim government seized control of the airport in Tripoli in April, taking over from militia fighters who had been providing security in the absence of an official force. Libya's interim government took control of the airport in Tripoli in April, taking over from militia fighters who held control until then.
The incident comes as Libya's governing National Transitional Council prepares for to hold elections for a constituent assembly in the coming weeks. Tripoli says the international airport will be shut for the next 24 hours to resolve technical issues.
The incident comes as Libya's governing National Transitional Council prepares to hold elections for a constituent assembly in the coming weeks.