Sabha is a city where tribal gunmen get into a fight over trivial reasons
Ramadan ended with tribal clashes in southern Libya
One person was killed and five others wounded in tribal clashes that broke out in the southern Libyan city of Sabha in the first day of Eid Al-Fitr.
Local sources said gunmen from Tabu tribe exchanged fire with Gadadfa tribesmen in the City Center Street in Hai Mahdia district at around 1.00 am on Sunday while people were shopping for Eid, causing panic among the shoppers.
“The street was very crowded with Eid shoppers and suddenly the gunfight started and people started to scramble and scream,” an eyewitness reported.
Sabha Medical Center said a pregnant woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy were among the wounded in the random shooting that lasted for several hours before it came to an end.
It is still not clear what caused the fighting, but the city has been plagued with tribal clashes over trivial matters. In November 2016, a monkey sparked deadly clashes between Gadadfa and Awlad Suleiman tribesmen that left 12 people dead and 25 others wounded.
Tuareq, Tabu, Awlad Suleiman, Awlad Sahil, Magharha, and Gadadfa are the main social components in Sabha.
In March, the Italian government brokered a comprehensive reconciliation agreement between Tabu and Awlad Suleiman tribes in the Italian capital of Rome to end tension between the two warring tribes.
