27 Killed, 235 wounded in demonstration in Libya

At least 27 people were killed and more than 235 injured when gunmen opened fire Friday in Tripoli on protestors who were demanding an end to the presence of armed militias in the Libyan capital, Libya's state-run LANA news agency reported.

 

Many of the wounded were in critical condition, the agency reported, citing sources at two local hospitals.

 

Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan blamed the protesters and the militia for the violence, though some witnesses told Libyan state television said they saw no protesters with weapons.

 

"The protesters were all unarmed, waving Libyan flags and chanting 'We want an army,'" said one witness on Libyan television.

 

Zeidan demanded the departures "without exception" of all armed militias from Tripoli.

 

The incident occurred when the protesters approached a building manned by a militia group. Some of the gunmen initially fired shots into the air.

 

"When the demonstrators did not retreat, the insurgents fired at them," Zeidan said.

 

Last week, rival militia groups battled in central Tripoli, prompting residents to vow to stage marches to force them out of the city.

 

Libya's rulers have been struggling to assert authority and re-establish security since the 2011 overthrow of Moamer Gaddafi.

 

-Sapa