Libyan militia leader freed after deadly clashes
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Transcript
00:00 Celebrations after the return of their commander.
00:04 On Thursday, members of the 444th Brigade were seen celebrating the release of their
00:08 leader Mahmoud Hamza after his arrest triggered the bloodiest bout of fighting in Tripoli
00:12 this year.
00:14 The commander's arrival home comes as Libya's internationally recognized Prime Minister
00:18 warned against further militia clashes.
00:20 "If the rival militias do not calm down and are not satisfied with a conciliatory solution,
00:29 there will be other decisions regarding them.
00:32 People's lives are not a game.
00:34 There will be other measures against them.
00:36 We have to be harsh."
00:39 The 24-hour gunfight broke out late on Monday after Hamza was seized by the rival's Special
00:44 Deterrence Force as he tried to travel from Tripoli's Mitiga airport, which the SDF controls.
00:50 Under a deal brokered by the city elders on Tuesday, the SDF handed Hamza over to a third
00:55 faction - the Stabilization Support Apparatus - who then released him.
01:00 However, the conflict caused heavy casualties among civilians, which was slammed by al-Dabaiba.
01:04 "Every day they cause trouble on the streets.
01:08 Every day causes a war.
01:09 Every day people are terrorized.
01:12 Touching civilians is forbidden.
01:14 It's forbidden to carry a gun and to fire in the streets."
01:17 Since the overthrow of President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been plagued by multiple
01:23 militias vying for power, along with a political standoff between the unity government and
01:27 rival parliamentary bodies.
01:30 The country is split into eastern and western parliamentary factions, resulting in two prime
01:34 ministers fighting for legitimacy.
01:36 Major warfare in Libya has been paused since a 2020 truce came into effect between the
01:41 main eastern and western sides.
01:43 However, despite an uneasy peace in the country, a lasting solution to the conflict looks distant.
01:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]