Clashes between two rival forces which support Libya’s UN-backed government on Sunday left five people dead and 13 others wounded, news agency AFP reports quoting medical sources.

The gun battle in Zaouia, some 40km (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, was between fighters linked to the defence ministry and those with ties to the interior ministry, local media reported.

The victims included a 10-year-old girl, the report said.

The fighting broke out over a dispute about fuel smuggling which is common in the country, a security source told AFP.

The clashes come amid a political crisis between backers of rival Libyan Prime Ministers Abdulhamid Dbeibah and Fathi Bashagha, whose forces are vying for control of the oil-rich nation.

Mr. Dbeibah’s government was installed last year as part of a United Nations-led peace process, while Mr. Bashagha was appointed by Libya’s eastern-based parliament in February.

Source: bbc.com

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