TRIPOLI, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Military tension in the south of Libya's capital Tripoli continues after a day of violent clashes that killed and injured many people.
Southern Tripoli has been witnessing violent clashes between government forces and an armed group called the Seventh Brigade, which have killed 10 and injured more than 40 others so far.
The Tripoli security force of the Interior Ministry on Thursday said it carried out a "large-scale military operation on the southern outskirts of the capital, where the enemy suffered heavy losses."
The Tripoli security force confirmed it will continue its military operation "until these groups are completely eliminated."
In August 2018, violent clashes broke out in southern Tripoli between forces allied with the government and the Seventh Brigade militia, killing 117 and injuring more than 500 others, mostly civilians.
The clashes ended with the warring parties signing a UN-sponsored cease-fire agreement, after which the government approved new security arrangements in Tripoli that focus on replacing armed groups with regular police and security forces.
Faraj al-Tekbali, a Libyan political analyst, said the clashes were a clear violation of the UN-brokered cease-fire agreement.
"Since the signing of the agreement by the warring parties months ago under the auspices of the United Nations ... much has not been achieved and the agreement has not been effectively implemented," al-Tekbali told Xinhua.
"The negative attitude in the implementation of what was agreed upon makes the Seventh Brigade distrust the government and the groups allied with it," al-Tekbali added.
The political analyst was surprised that the government "confusingly" did not issue any statement so far to clarify its position on the renewed clashes.
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) warned the warring factions against breach of the cease-fire agreement concluded in September 2018, saying the escalation undermines the stability in the capital and endangers the lives of civilians and their properties.
However, the Seventh Brigade, which descended from the city of Tarhuna, some 80 km southeast of Tripoli, held the UNSMIL "responsible for the military escalation of the militias in Tripoli."
Meanwhile, the Seventh Brigade stressed commitment to the cease-fire agreement with the "right to retaliate against any attack against its forces."
On Thursday, the European Union described renewed fighting in Tripoli as a "worrying breach of the cease-fire brokered by the UN," warning that "all those who undermine the political process or threaten the stability of Libya will be held accountable."
"The Libyan crisis needs a negotiated solution. It cannot be solved through violence," the EU said in a statement.
Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the country has been suffering escalating violence and chaos, as well as political division. Enditem
