Updated on Wednesday at 4:10 AM
Clashes in Libya’s capital leave four beachgoers dead
Five civilians were killed and eighteen others wounded in an exchange of fire outside Tripoli’s Mitiga Airport on Tuesday, the Health Ministry reported.
Local sources said gunmen from Souq Al-Joumaa district traded rocket fire outside the airport and near a crowded beach on the opposite side of the airport, killing a woman and her four children and wounding eighteen beachgoers, some are in critical condition.
There are conflicting reports about the reason of the fighting. Some sources claimed it was a revenge attack by armed relatives of a man killed by an armed group stationed inside the airport.
The fighting brought the traffic to a standstill and disrupted flights for several hours.
Eyewitnesses said tension between the warring sides started early in the day and was heated up in the evening with the exchange of fire.
