Libya: Al-Awfia brigade occupy Tripoli airport, clashes as government forces retake control
Tripoli’s international airport was occupied by militia from the western town of Tarhuna on Monday, in retaliation for the kidnapping of their commander, Abu-Alija Habshi, by unknown assailants on Sunday afternoon.
The arrival of government-controlled security forces late this afternoon has resulted in a gun-battle that saw the government retake control of the airport, with a number of militia reportedly captured.
The militia, known as the Al-Awfia brigade, used armoured vehicles, heavy machine guns and a tank to close down the airport for several hours, grounding a number of flights and forcing others to be diverted to Tripoli’s Metiga air base.