25 February 2017•Update: 25 February 2017
By Jabur Doken
TRIPOLI, Libya
Militias allied to Libya’s UN-backed unity government and rivals have reached a ceasefire in the capital Tripoli, the government’s presidential council said Saturday.
The ceasefire deal comes after two days of sporadic clashes between the government’s central security forces and a militia loyal to the Tripoli-based salvation government, which is not internationally recognized.
In a statement, the council said a security panel has been formed to observe the implementation of the ceasefire deal.
It vowed to end all features of “illegal armament” in the capital and to bring those violating the ceasefire to justice.
The violence broke out after forces backing the salvation government accused rival militias of kidnapping four of its forces.
Last week, Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of the unity government, survived an assassination attempt when his convoy came under fire in Tripoli.
Libya has been wracked by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody uprising ended with the ouster and death of Muammar Gaddafi after 42 years in power.
In the wake of the uprising, the country’s stark political divisions yielded two rival seats of government, one in Tobruk and the other in Tripoli.
In an effort to resolve the political standoff, Libya’s rival governments signed a UN-backed agreement in late 2015 establishing a government of national unity.
