Murders, destruction rise as Libyan feud escalates

TEN PEOPLE were killed on Sunday near Tripoli by one of Libya’s notorious militia brigades in a titfor-tat revenge attack.

In addition to the killings, the Kani Brigade, from Tarhouna also destroyed homes and buildings belonging to the local Suwai family when they attacked the small village of Rgaiat, and nearby Suq Al Khamis Emsihel, on the road between Tripoli International Airport and Tarhouna.

The bloodshed was reported by the Libya Herald to be in revenge for the earlier killing of three Kani militiamen on Saturday night, allegedly by members of the Suwai family.

However, the killing of the Kani militiamen by the Suwais was itself in revenge for an even earlier killing of a family member by members of the Kani militia.

The bloody cycle of attack and counter-attack started when Kani militiamen are said to have raided the family home in Rgaiat of Major Juma Al Suwai, a former officer of Khamis Gaddafi’s 32nd Brigade, and killed him.

Khamis Gadaffi, was one of the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s sons and was killed during Libya’s 2011 revolution.

Major Suwai was visiting home for the Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha in Benghazi in the east where he is now a member of the Libyan National Army.

In reprisal, members of the Suwai family reportedly attacked members of the Kani Brigade, which controls the road from Esbaia to Tarhouna, killing three of them.