Under the headline "Tripoli on a Hot Plate: Clashes and Skirmishes Between Libyan Militias," Sky News Arabia published an article about the clashes taking place in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, over two days, involving light weapons between the Rada militia and the Stability Support Apparatus militia established by Faiz al-Sarraj, led by Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, known as Ghneiwa. This conflict arises from each militia's arrest of elements from the other.
Libyan military sources inside Tripoli informed Sky News Arabia that the clashes resulted in one casualty due to the random exchange of gunfire between the two sides. The sources confirmed that the conflict began when the Stability Support militia, under direct orders from al-Kikli, kidnapped seven members belonging to the Judiciary Security Operations Department after those kidnapped executed orders to arrest one of al-Kikli's guards.
Furthermore, it was clarified that those arrested from al-Kikli's militia are wanted by the Public Prosecutor in several cases, including murder and robbery, in addition to shootings that caused severe injuries to a citizen. The same sources indicated that an armed convoy belonging to the Rada militia, targeting organized crime and terrorism, left their base at Mitiga Airport in Tripoli during the early hours of the previous Friday, preparing to attack al-Kikli's militia following the kidnapping of the Judiciary Security elements.
The sources explained that a meeting also took place on Friday between militia leaders in Tripoli after the incident, where they agreed on the necessity of dissolving al-Kikli's militia, resorting to military action if the militia leaders refuse to comply with orders and surrender their weapons.
Al-Kikli’s militia was formed by a decision from Faiz al-Sarraj, who allocated a direct budget to it by decision number 38 of 2021. This militia has participated in operations against civilians and military personnel and has recently fought against the Libyan Army. Al-Kikli is one of al-Sarraj’s most prominent arms and is also closely associated with the leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, Abdul Hakim Belhaj, born in Benghazi, who was imprisoned due to his involvement in criminal offenses for several years.
After the overthrow of Gaddafi, al-Kikli formed armed militias known as "Central Security" militias and became one of the influential figures in Tripoli. Earlier, Sky News Arabia published a report noting rising tensions among the militias in Tripoli due to the practices carried out by al-Kikli and his militias in western Libyan cities. The report emphasized that the militias agreed on the necessity of dissolving this militia and taking necessary actions against it, even resorting to force to stop practices leading to chaos in western Libya.
