Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Unity announced that a police officer was killed Friday in an attack on the Prime Ministry building in Tripoli.
A statement from the Government of National Unity's Hakomitna platform indicated that unidentified gunmen opened fire on the building, and a police officer was injured, and later died in the attack.
The statement said a group entered the building and tried to burn it with Molotov cocktails. The group was prevented by security forces without any loss of life.
"The government emphasizes that the Prime Ministry building is not only an administrative facility, but also the executive decision-making center of the state, that it houses documents that affect the interests of the Libyan people, and that targeting it is a direct attack on state institutions and assets," it said.
The statement noted that the government commended the Interior Ministry's personnel for their professionalism in ensuring the security of the demonstration in Martyrs' Square earlier in the day.
- INCIDENTS IN TRIPOLI
The officer's death follows clashes that erupted Monday following the death of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, who heads the Stability Support Apparatus.
Shortly afterward al-Kikli's death, the government announced that the 444th Brigade, affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, had seized the Stability Support Apparatus' headquarters in the Abu Salim neighborhood of Tripoli and taken control of the area.
In a statement on May 13, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh congratulated members of the army and police for their success in establishing state authority in the events that took place in Tripoli.
Clashes began early May 14 between the Rada, which is considered one of the powerful militia groups in the capital, and government forces, and smoke was seen rising from buildings in parts of Tripoli.
The Defense Ministry announced later that day that a ceasefire had been declared in all conflict zones in Tripoli as part of efforts to protect civilians.
An official from Health Affairs at the Tripoli municipality, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, announced that six people died and 70 were injured in the clashes.
