ISTANBUL

Libya’s Government of National Unity announced Saturday that a police officer died from gunshot wounds sustained during protests near the prime minister’s Office in Tripoli.

In a statement, the government said the officer was shot by unidentified gunmen while securing the government building.

Authorities said security forces prevented an attempted breach of the building by a group of “infiltrators” embedded among protesters who tried to storm the premises using Molotov cocktails and metal tools. No damage was reported.

Protests erupted Friday in Tripoli with demonstrators blaming Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s government for recent armed clashes in the capital and demanding its resignation.

Clashes broke in the Salah al-Din and Abu Salim districts of Tripoli on Monday amid unconfirmed reports of the death of Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, head of the Stability Support Apparatus. A cease-fire was announced Wednesday by the Defense Ministry.

Local outlet Libya Al-Ahrar said clashes involved fighters from the Stability Support Apparatus and the 444th Combat Brigade, both affiliated with the Defense Ministry.

Unverified resignation letters of several ministers also circulated on social media Friday, including those attributed to the ministers of local governance, housing, and water resources. Their authenticity remains unclear.

Libya continues to face political division between two rival governments since 2022, the internationally recognized administration of Dbeibeh in Tripoli, and a parallel government led by Osama Hammad based in Benghazi, supported by the eastern-based parliament.

UN-led efforts to hold national elections remain stalled, prolonging the oil-rich country's decade-long conflict and instability.