Libyan official: 1 killed, 5 injured in fighting in Tripoli

KARO — Clashes broke out between rival militias in the Libyan capital, killing at least one civilian and injuring five others, a health official said.

Malek Merset, a spokesman for the emergency services, told The Associated Press that Mustafa Baraka, a comedian known for his social media videos, died after being shot in the chest. Merset said his body was taken to a hospital in Tripoli.

He said at least five other civilians were injured in the fighting that took place in the capital Tripoli. Images circulating online showed houses and vehicles apparently damaged by the fighting.

The violence pits the militia of the Tripoli Revolutionary Brigade, led by Haitham Tajouri, against another militia affiliated with Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, a notorious warlord known as “Gheniwa,” according to local media.

The violence was the latest escalation to threaten relative peace after nearly a decade of civil war in Libya, where two rival authorities are at a political standstill. The divisions led to several violent incidents in Tripoli in recent months.