UN voices concern about clashes in Libya's Tripoli

Tripoli, June 12 (IANS) The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has expressed concern about clashes that erupted in Libyan capital Tripoli between armed groups.

The clashes between armed groups took place on Friday evening, Xinhua news agency reported.

"UNSMIL has received reports of clashes in Tripoli last night between armed groups, which endangered the lives of civilians, and separately of mobilisation of armed groups along with heavy weapons from areas surrounding Tripoli," UNSMIL said on Saturday in a statement.

A local security source told Xinhua that at least 4 people were injured in the clashes. The armed groups were yet to be identified.

UNSMIL is deeply concerned about these developments, during an extremely sensitive period of political polarisation which the United Nations, international partners, and concerned Libyans are making efforts to resolve, including through imminent rounds of dialogues in Egypt, the statement added.

The UN mission urged all parties in Libya to exercise maximum restraint and address disputes through dialogue to preserve the country's fragile stability.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah condemned the clashes and issued orders to stop the clashes and secure the area.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.