Libya’s Health Ministry said fighting in the capital Tripoli between rival militias has left 13 people dead. The ministry said late Friday that 52 people were injured in the fighting which flared up Wednesday, shattering a UN-brokered cease-fire reached in September that ended hostilities in the city. The earlier bout of violence killed nearly 100 people. In a statement, the ministry appealed to rival militiamen not to target ambulances and medics. The fighting between militias allied to the UN-backed government in Tripoli and an armed group from a nearby town underscores Libya’s lingering lawlessness since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Muammar Qaddafi. Al-Qaeda and Daesh have been using southern Libya as a base for attacks in Libya and neighboring countries, exploiting a security vacuum since 2011. Published in Daily Times, January 21st 2019.