TRIPOLI, Libya

The death toll from clashes between rival militias in Tripoli rose to 32, Libyan health authorities said on Sunday. 

In a statement, the Health Ministry said 159 people were injured in the violence that rocked several districts in the Libyan capital. 

Calm prevailed in Tripoli on Sunday, one day after heavy clashes between forces backing Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and forces loyal to his rival Fathi Bashagha, who was appointed by the Tobruk-based parliament as a prime minister.
 The violence, the worst since reaching a cease-fire in 2020, caused severe material damage to private and public properties, in the capital.

The violence came amid military buildups by forces affiliated with Dbeibeh and Bashagha, as both figures claim power and authority in the capital.

Oil-rich Libya has remained in turmoil since 2011 when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted after four decades in power.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar