Libyan army clash with Toubou tribe in Kufra

Clashes between The National Libyan Army and militias belonging to the Toubou tribe, took place Monday in the country's southern city of al-Kufra, which lies 1200km south of Tripoli. According to a military source with the army, the clashes have seen one person killed and 13 injured. The Libyan Army source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Arabstoday that violence broke out in the city after the Toubou tribe found one of its members dead in the street and blamed the army. The city's military commander, Sleiman Hamed, confirmed that his troops, along with the Libyan Shield militia, have regained control over the city centre, while the Toubou fighters are centred in the al-Sowaideya region. Hamed stated that Toubou snipers are wreaking chaos in the southern city, adding that Monday's clashes have left several soldiers from the National Army either dead or wounded. However he stated that he was unsure of the final death toll. Hamed revealed that the National Transitional Council's delegation agreed Sunday with the Toubou tribes, that Chadian and other non-Libyan Toubou members must leave Libya. However they agreed that the Libyan Toubous are of course welcome in their own country. However, Hussein Shakai, a Toubou leader and head of the Kufra community centre, told the Reuters news agency that Libya's Shield fighters attacked Toubou neighbourhoods with rockets, leaving at least six houses completely burnt. Long-standing rivalries, divided communities and plentiful stockpiles of weapons are plaguing Libya, at a time when the transitional government is struggling to impose its authority and maintain the peace among the country's ethnic groups.