Militants tank in Al Kufra Tripoli – Emad Agag Clashes resumed in Al Kufra, south of Libya, on Sunday when a group of gunmen attacked the city, according to eyewitnesses. The eyewitnesses told ‘Arabstoday’ that several people were killed from both sides.
Libya has sent military forces to stem clashes between rival tribes over territory's control in the far southeast of Libya, the armed forces chief said Saturday, as more people were reported to be killed in the violence.
Clashes broke out late last week in the remote city of Al Kufra and have continued since, highlighting the challenge of managing the sparsely populated desert. Dozens of people have been killed, the tribes have said.
Gunmen from the Zwai tribe have been clashing with fighters from the Tibu ethnic group led by Isa Abdel Majid, who they accuse of attacking Al Kufra with the support of mercenaries from Chad, according to a security official from the Zwai tribe.
However, the Tibu said they were the ones to be attacked.
Speaking by telephone on Libyan state television, Armed Forces Chief Yousef Al-Mangoush denied there was any foreign presence in the area and urged elders from both sides to meet.
"This is a problem between two tribes, which stems from the past. It is not an ethnic problem," he said. "Military forces are now on the ground there."
In Al Kufra, tribal ties are more powerful than they are on the country's Mediterranean seaboard. A tribal rebellion in 2009 was suppressed only after Gaddafi sent in helicopter gunships. The remote region is also a hub for smugglers who take advantage of the lawless borders of Sub-Saharan Africa.
The province surrounding Al Kufra is Libya's largest one, as it borders Sudan and Chad. The roads in the region are poor, and some reports said the airport was out of use due to the fighting, possibly holding up any aid.