Inmates Mass Escape in Western Libya Amid Armed Clashes
Police said the jail break came as rival armed groups fought in Surman and Zawiya, killing 3 civilians and prompting a neutral force deployment.
- On Tuesday, inmates staged a mass escape from Surman jail while armed clashes erupted nearby in two cities west of Tripoli, prompting the Tripoli-based Judicial Police Authority to launch an investigation.
- Rival armed groups sparked violence in Surman and Zawiya, reflecting decades of instability since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi that has left Libya vulnerable to recurring conflict.
- Zawiya, 40 km west of Tripoli, hosts Libya's largest functioning refinery with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day; local leader Salem Bahr reported the clashes killed three civilians and injured several others.
- Azzawiya Oil Company urged workers to avoid clash areas on Facebook, while Surman Mayor Mohamed Abu Snina reported the humanitarian situation as very bad before relative calm returned after a neutral force deployed.
- Via Turkey-based Libya Al-Ahrar, local leader Bahr appealed for peace, stating, "Everyone who wins in this situation loses," as authorities formed a committee to identify escaped inmates and pursue legal action.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Mass prison escape as armed clashes rock western Libya
A mass prison escape unfolded in western Libya after inmates fled a jail amid fierce clashes between rival armed groups. The violence killed at least three civilians, damaged property and heightened security concerns in the country's volatile western region.
Armed clashes have broken out in the western Libyan towns of Surman and Zawiya, killing four civilians and wounding ten. The fighting erupted between armed forces of the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and the rival eastern government led by General Khalifa Haftar. Amid the chaos, a mass escape of prisoners from the Surman prison occurred, and the circumstances of the incident are being investigated. The clashes were eventually stopped by an…
Inmates stage mass escape in western Libya amid armed clashes
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