CAIRO — Heavy gunfire between warring militias prevented firefighters from battling a massive inferno in Libya’s capital Tuesday, despite calls for a cease-fire to end the worst violence in the capital since the country’s 2011 civil war.
The blaze engulfing oil depots started earlier in the crossfire of militias fighting over Tripoli’s international airport, a weekslong battle between rivals mirroring the violence that has plagued Libya since the downfall of dictator Moammar Khadafy. In the eastern city of Benghazi, Islamist-led militias said they also seized bases of a renegade general fighting against them Tuesday.
The violence has impeded the country’s democratic transition and its escalation is the biggest challenge facing Libya’s newly elected 200-member Parliament, which will take office in August.
Earlier this month, a militia composed of fighters from the western city of Misrata, backed by others stationed in the capital, launched a surprise attack on the airport, which was held for the last three years by a militia from the mountain town of Zintan.
The fighting forced authorities to shut down the airport after it was devastated in shelling. The Health Ministry said that 97 people have been killed and more than 400 have been wounded in the fighting.
The violence prompted many diplomats and foreigners to flee the country, including the US ambassador in Libya and United Nations staff.