Clashes Erupt in Tripoli between GNA-Affiliated Militias

GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj in a meeting with leaders of Sirte-al-Jufra Liberation Operations Room (GNA)
GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj in a meeting with leaders of Sirte-al-Jufra Liberation Operations Room (GNA)
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Clashes Erupt in Tripoli between GNA-Affiliated Militias

GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj in a meeting with leaders of Sirte-al-Jufra Liberation Operations Room (GNA)
GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj in a meeting with leaders of Sirte-al-Jufra Liberation Operations Room (GNA)

Armed clashes erupted on Thursday between security members of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

Eyewitnesses said that the warring sides have used heavy and medium weapons.

The clash took place between the General Security Force and the Deterrence Force in the Andalus neighborhood, in the center of Tripoli.

No official statements were made by the government or security bodies. However, sources revealed that the clashes followed a dispute between GNA-affiliated militias.

This came as GNA Chief Fayez Al-Sarraj vowed to pay all dues for the fighting forces and compensate wounded individuals, according to Libyan sources.

He delivered his remarks during a meeting he held with military leaders, representatives from noble councils, businessmen, and Misrata municipality.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Wednesday called for the unification of the country's electoral authorities for the municipal council elections.

Remarkably, Libya’s political process continues to make progress through the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) towards securing the necessary conditions for the holding of national elections on December 24, 2021.

The Mission urged all Libyan stakeholders, institutions, and actors involved in municipal elections, including the eastern-based House of Representatives, to support and facilitate cooperation between the two electoral entities of the capital Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi, as an essential step towards the unification of Libyan institutions.



Türkiye Says Over 273,000 Syrian Refugees Have Returned Home

FILE - Syrian refugee Ahmed al-Kassem and his family drive a truck loaded with their belongings from Türkiye, on the their way back to the family's home in Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - Syrian refugee Ahmed al-Kassem and his family drive a truck loaded with their belongings from Türkiye, on the their way back to the family's home in Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
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Türkiye Says Over 273,000 Syrian Refugees Have Returned Home

FILE - Syrian refugee Ahmed al-Kassem and his family drive a truck loaded with their belongings from Türkiye, on the their way back to the family's home in Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)
FILE - Syrian refugee Ahmed al-Kassem and his family drive a truck loaded with their belongings from Türkiye, on the their way back to the family's home in Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)

More than 273,000 Syrians who fled their country's civil war to neighboring Türkiye have returned home since the fall of president Bashar al-Assad in December, Türkiye's vice-president said Friday.

"The number of people who have voluntarily returned to Syria since December 8, 2024 has exceeded 273,000," Cevdet Yilmaz was quoted as saying by the official Anadolu news agency.

Some 2.7 million Syrian refugees are still in Türkiye, according to interior ministry figures released in May.

The Turkish government, which supports Syria's new rulers, is hoping to accelerate the return of refugees to ease tensions generated by their presence in parts of the country.