By Libya Herald reporter.
Tripoli, 2 October 2017:
Three people, including a civilian, were killed in fighting last night in Tripoli’s Gurji district, west of the city centre, between the powerful Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade of Haithem Tajouri and the Nawasi Brigade.
The clashes occurred late last night after Tajouri sent in forces to Gurji’s Massara area to clear it of a Nawasi unit consiting of an extended local family, the Alwad Radiah, said to be in control of it.
Tajouri’s forces are reported to have succeeded.
As well as the civilian killed in the fighting, one on the leaders of the Alwad Radiah was also reported killed. The third person was unidentified.
The fighting was triggered by a move earlier in the evening by Nawasi to take over Tajouri’s headquarters on the corniche (Shara Al-Shatt), just opposite the TV station next to the foreign ministry buildings. There was no serious fighting, just shooting in the air, but Tajouri called in reinforcements and the corniche east of the Mahari Radisson Blu hotel was closed off. His forces were then dispatched to Gurji.
The pro-Islamist Nawasi brigade was at one point linked to Abdul Raouf Kara and his Rada brigades but the link was broken when, with the arrival of the Presidency Council in Tripoli last year, he supported it while the more radical Nawasi continued to support the crumbling Libya Dawn “government” of Khalifa Ghwell. It still does so, although like him, it is said to have now transferred its support to Baset Igtet.
It is claimed that it tried to move against Tajouri yesterday following the rumours that he was going to have discussions with Khalifa Hafter.