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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.
Violent clashes between armed groups broke out in the night and continued this morning in the cities of Zawiya and Surman, along the Libyan coast west of Tripoli, causing deaths and injuries and stopping the circulation on the coastal road that runs along the... (ANSA)