Libyan death toll hits 25 as militias clash for a third day

Clashes between rival militias in southern Libya raged for a third day yesterday and a doctor at the regional hospital said the death toll had risen to 25, highlighting the challenges the government faces in imposing its authority over the country.

Ibrahim Misbah said that fighting between gunmen from Sabha and fighters from the Tibu ethnic group had reached the centre of Sabha, Libya's fourth-largest city.

"The hospital crew has been working round the clock since Monday night and the injured keep coming in," he said.

Fighting first broke out on Sunday between former rebel fighters from Sabha and gunmen from the Tibu ethnic group after a Sabha man was killed in a dispute over a car. The clashes started at the airport and moved into the town.