Clashes broke out between rival Libyan militias at Tripoli’s international airport yesterday after angry gunmen drove armed pick-up trucks on to the tarmac and surrounded aircraft, forcing the airport to cancel flights. In a fresh challenge to the interim government’s weak authority, members of the al-Awfea Brigade force occupied the airport to demand the release of their leader who, they said, was being held by security forces, officials said.
Libya’s new rulers are struggling to assert their control over an array of former fighters, who still refuse to lay down their arms. – (Reuters)
