TRIPOLI, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) on Thursday said the security situation in the capital has returned to stability, following two days of violent clashes between rival factions that left at least six people dead.
"The Interior Ministry assures all residents that the security situation in Tripoli is stable and under control," the ministry said in a statement published on its official Facebook page. "Security services are performing their duties with high efficiency to maintain public order."
The ministry urged civil servants and residents to resume normal activities, adding that police stations across the city were operating around the clock to receive reports and complaints.
Fighting erupted earlier this week after Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, also known as Ghaniwa, a senior commander in the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) -- a powerful armed group aligned with the Presidency Council -- was killed in a facility controlled by the 444 Brigade, a militia loyal to GNU Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah.
Security sources said the killing triggered fierce retaliatory clashes between the SSA and the 444 Brigade, spreading into central and residential districts until a ceasefire was announced on Wednesday.
Libya has remained fractured since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country is split between rival administrations: the UN-recognized GNU in Tripoli and an eastern-based government backed by the Libyan National Army (LNA) under commander Khalifa Haftar.
Within Tripoli and other areas under GNU control, armed factions continue to compete for influence, often violently, despite repeated calls for disarmament and unification of security institutions. ■