Tripolitania and Tripoli
While the security situation in the capital remains relatively stable, a number of low level incidents were reported during the last seven days, including abductions and shooting incidents. In general the capital remains less active than Benghazi in the east of the country. The threat of opportunistic crime remains extant, especially in the outlying districts of Tripoli, during the hours of darkness. Spontaneous demonstrations remain likely, especially in the downtown areas of the city.
Fighting was reported in capital in the early hours of 17 December after forces from the Supreme Security Committee (SSC) and police moved against suspected drug dealers in the Al-Hani area. Exchanges of small arms fire were reported along with a number of rocket propelled grenades, no serious injuries were reported. Security forces were subsequently reported to have arrested a number of suspects and seized a quantity of drugs and alcohol.
Elsewhere, the prominent social network activist Hamid Al Tubuly, who was abducted by a rogue High Security Committee (HSC) unit on 4 December and held for 24 hours, told the Libya Herald on 11 December that the HSC fighters had offered to guard his vacant villa in return for money. He claimed he was taken after saying no and that the fighters then fabricated a story of his involvement with pro-Qadhafi fighters.
The Libya Herald also reported an attack on a local police station in Darj, east of Ghadames, on 11 December by unknown assailants. A local police official said three vehicles were stolen as well as a number of light weapons. There is still considerable tension between Ghadames and the town’s Touareg community, which was forced out shortly after the war.
The Libyan daily Al Watan Libya reported an attack on two UN vehicles in Homs on 12 December. The vehicles were returning from Misratah when they were fired upon by unknown assailants. There were no reported injuries. Press Solidarity reported the closing of the Ras Al Jadir Tunisian-Libyan border crossing on 13 December. The Libyan authorities closed the crossing, according to one Tunisian official, separately the daily Libya Al Mustakbal said that a number of truck drivers reported deteriorating relations between the two counties.
