TRIPOLI, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and four others injured in clashes on Tuesday in the Libyan capital Tripoli between security forces and "criminal groups," according to security and medical sources.
The clashes broke in Ghararat area in eastern Tripoli between the Special Deterrence Force and armed groups, who attempted to free a detained leader, a security source said.
The Special Deterrence Force earlier said they took control of the Ghararat area, announcing it as a "closed military zone."
"Many of the criminals have been arrested in Ghararat area. The area is now being fully secured," the Force said.
A medical source in the Ministry of Health confirmed that two fighters from the armed groups were killed and four others were injured, adding that the death toll is likely to rise "as ambulance teams are unable to access the area of clashes."
The Special Deterrence Force said that one of their security personnel was killed in the clashes.
Flights at the nearby Tripoli International Airport were temporarily suspended for the second time in 24 hours because of the clashes, but were resumed a few hours later, airport security told Xinhua.
The source said that the Special Deterrence Force closed all areas surrounding the airport "until the area is fully secured."
Flights were also suspended on Monday for a few hours after "gunmen fired right outside of the airport, threatening the security of the passengers and airplanes," a security source told Xinhua.
Libya suffers security vacuum and unrest since the uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. The country is plagued with chaos and political division.
