CAIRO, August 15. /TASS/. Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) declares a state of emergency in districts of Tripoli where armed clashes take place, Deputy Prime Minister Ramadan Ahmed Boujenah announced.
"We declare a state of emergency in clashes areas and we call for a truce in order to ensure access of medical personnel," he said, according to Al Jazeera.
The Health Ministry of Libya called on the conflicting sides to "provide humanitarian corridors for evacuation, rescue and medical brigades in order to provide aid to civilians in clashes area."
According to the Ministry statement, published on social media, Deputy Health Minister Ramadan Abu Janah demanded that the fighting armed groups declared a truce in order to evacuate civilians, the killed and the injured. According to the Libya Al Ahrar TV channel, 100 families have already been evacuated from the conflict area.
Armed clashes sparked in Tripoli late on August 14 between the 444th Brigade and the so-called Special Deterrence Force. According to local sources, the escalation is connected with the detention of a 444th Brigade commander in the international airport. Latest reports indicate that nine people were killed and about 30 were injured in the clashes. Al Arabiya reports that the Special Deterrence Force lost four servicemen.