The Libyan Judicial Police announced on Tuesday the opening of an urgent investigation after inmates carried out a mass escape from Sorman Prison, coinciding with confrontations between rival armed groups west of the capital, Tripoli, that led to the killing of three civilians and a threat to the largest oil refinery in the country. The police did not reveal the total number of inmates escaping from the prison, and explained that a specialized committee had been formed to undertake the task of "counting the escaping inmates and taking the necessary legal measures regarding them."
Published on: 04/08/2026 - 21:58
The Libyan Judicial Police, which is based in Tripoli, reported in an official statement that a mass escape had occurred in Sorman Prison, confirming that an investigation had been opened into the incident. While the police did not reveal the total number of inmates who escaped from the prison, they explained that a specialized committee had been formed to undertake the task of "counting the escaped inmates and taking the necessary legal measures regarding them."
On the ground, clashes took place between rival armed groups inside the cities of Sorman and Al-Zawiya, located west of the capital, where Libya has been suffering from ongoing security unrest since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The identity of the participants in the violence or the direct causes of the fighting are not yet clear, but it resulted in the death of three civilians and the injury of others.
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In this context, Salem Bahr, a member of the notables and elders of Zawiya, appealed to stop the fighting immediately, explaining in statements to the “Libya Al-Ahrar” channel, which broadcasts from Turkey, that “the victor in this situation is the loser.”
The risks of confrontations extended to the city of Zawiya (40 kilometers west of Tripoli), which includes the Zawiya refinery, the largest operating refinery in Libya, with a production capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.
Al-Zawiya Oil Refining Company published a statement on Facebook in which it called on all workers to “take the utmost precaution and completely avoid the areas and paths of clashes and the roads leading to them.”
In parallel, video clips published on the Internet and local television channels, the authenticity of which Reuters could not verify, showed thick columns of black smoke rising into the sky, along with heavy gunfire across Sorman and Al-Zawiya.
On the humanitarian level, the mayor of Sorman, Muhammad Abu Sneina, described the humanitarian situation inside the city as “very bad,” noting that the armed clashes caused serious damage.
Abu Sneineh confirmed that relative calm had finally returned to the city after the deployment of a neutral force to stabilize stability.
France 24/AFP
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