Libya clashes kill four west of Tripoli, official says

Clashes between rival armed groups in western Libya killed four people and wounded more than 10 overnight, an official from Zawiya's security directorate told AFP on Tuesday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the fighting began late Monday and was continuing south of Sorman, about 60 kilometres west of Tripoli, and in some neighbourhoods of nearby Zawiya.

The official said the clashes involved members of the Anti-Security Threat Agency and the 103rd Battalion. The Anti-Security Threat Agency is linked to Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah, who heads the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, while the 103rd Battalion falls under his defence ministry.

Neither the prime minister's office nor the defence ministry had commented, AFP reported.

The official said heavy and medium weapons fire could still be heard on Tuesday morning and that a "neutral force" had been deployed to defuse the conflict and prevent further escalation. The main route between Tripoli and the Zawiya region was closed overnight as a precaution.

AFP said it could not verify images and videos on social media that appeared to show black smoke over residential neighbourhoods in Sorman and burned military vehicles and equipment.

Clashes between armed groups are a recurring issue in Sorman and Zawiya, a coastal area that includes a large oil refinery and has been affected by power struggles involving organised crime, including diesel smuggling and human trafficking.

Libya has Africa's largest oil reserves but has been divided since the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi. Two governments are vying for power: the UN-recognised administration in Tripoli and a rival in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.