Tripoli’s situation might get turn for worse as Al Qaeda is believed to be working alongside militias opposed to the government

An Al Qaeda-linked group has been involved in the recent attacks on the Libyan capital Tripoli, a powerful militia propping up the UN-backed government has claimed.

The National reports that fighters from the coalition of the Benghazi Shura Revolutionary Council, which held Libya’s second largest city for two years and included groups that pledged allegiance to ISIS and Al Qaeda, are believed to have been seen on the outskirts of Tripoli by pro-government brigades. It is the first time that the government has named the group and accused it of involvement in the clashes.

Over a hundred people have been killed in the clashes, 80 remain missing and some 350 have been injured the health ministry said. A ceasefire brokered by the UN mission to Libya in early September has repeatedly been ignored, but the largest of clashes broke out on Thursday.

It pits a grouping of pro-government militias, informally known as the Tripoli Cartel, against a coalition of brigades from outside the capital, including Mr Badi’s forces.

The report on The National says that the UN mission for the first time publicly called him out on Thursday night for instigating the resumption of violence, as well as a nominally pro-government brigade known at the Abu Sleem Central Security Force. 

“One of the most prominent leaders in the war against Tripoli is Mohamed Darmona, a violent criminal who was arrested in Misrata but released without being referred to the judiciary,” said Mr Ben Salim, the spokesman for the pro-government brigade Rada. “He has attacked Mitiga (Tripoli’s sole functioning airport), kidnapped people and tried to release ISIS fighters that Rada holds. Some of these ISIS members are important in smuggling fighters into Libya, but he still tried to release them. These people are illegitimate and do not follow any governmental authority,” Mr Ben Salim added.