Violent clashes erupt between rival militias near a strategic highway in the northwest

Violent clashes broke out on Tuesday morning between two rival militia groups in northwestern Libya. The fighting occurred along a strategic coastal highway connecting the cities of Zauiya and Surman, plunging the area into instability.

Simultaneously, the violence coincided with a mass prison break at a correctional facility in Surman. In response to the security breach, Libya's Judicial Police formed a specialized committee to investigate the exact circumstances surrounding the mass escape of inmates.