Libya announces state of emergency in Tripoli after ongoing fighting kills 39 people, injures 96

Benghazi: Libya’s UN-backed government has announced a state of emergency in the capital and its outskirts as ongoing fighting has killed some 39 people, including civilians, in the past days. [caption id=“attachment_5097221” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Smoke rises during heavy clashes between rival factions in Tripoli, Libya. Reuters[/caption] The fighting erupted last week between armed groups from Tripoli against others from a town to the south vying for power in Libya’s capital. The Health Ministry said the fighting has also wounded 96 others. Sunday’s statement by the Libya government urged rival militias to stop the fighting and abide a UN-brokered ceasefire. Libya slid into chaos after the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The country is currently governed by rival authorities in Tripoli and the east, each backed by an array of militias that wield real power on the ground.