Tribal clashes kill two in Libya town: local official

AFP , Friday 24 Aug 2012

Clashes erupted between rival tribes in the Libyan town of Zliten late Thursday killing two people, a local official said, in the latest tribal or ethnic violence since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi's iron-fisted regime.

"Anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled grenades and light weapons were used in the fighting," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "So far, we have a toll of two dead and several wounded."

The official said that a murder was at the centre of the vendetta between the two tribes in Zliten, some 160 kilometres (100 miles) east of Tripoli but he gave no details.

Since the overthrow of the now slain Gaddafi in October last year, there have been a spate of deadly clashes between rival tribes and ethnic groups, particularly in western and southern Libya, settling old scores or fighting over lucrative cross-border smuggling routes.

The proliferation of heavy weapons outside government hands during last year's uprising has meant that some have been very violent.

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