Jafara’s Zahraa town in southwestern Tripoli was the scene for fierce clashes that left 7 killed and 4 injured on Tuesday.

Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled army forces attacked Wednesday Saddada Castle between Misrata and Bani Walid, claiming control of the area after brief clashes with forces inside the castle under the command of the former chief of Petroleum Facilities Guard, Ibrahim Jadran and Benghazi Defense Brigades.

The brigades under the Government of National Accord in Tripoli have issued a statement announcing their unity under a Tripoli Protection Force, citing the need to face conflict parties which wish to carry out military operations in the western region.

Libyan Presidential election candidate, Aref Nayed, said that the international community should use the UN Charter’s Chapter VII powers to hold Libyan elections and that he would use force to confront Libya’s militias.

The Attorney General’s Office in Tripoli issued two arrest warrants against two people on charges of inciting the closure of El-Feel and Sharara oil fields in the south-West of the country.

On Friday night, local media outlets and local sources from central Libya reported advances of military formations of brigades related to Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled army toward southwestern Sirte towns.

Clashes between armed groups killed eight people near the western Libyan city of Msallata, some 120 km east Tripoli, a local security source said.

The European Council said it had adopted conclusions on Libya in a meeting on Monday. The council welcomed the outcome of the Conference for Libya hosted by Italy in Palermo on 12 and 13 November 2018, which followed the Paris Conference held on 29 May 2018.

The Guardian has reported that seven years after the fall of Gaddafi and his regime in Libya, the Libyan people in Tripoli are now intimidated by a rule of militias and gangsters who control all of state institutions as well as the UN-brokered government in the capital. 

A Libyan militia leader has compared himself to George Washington, America’s first President, describing him as a “militia guy” who led the free world.