Cease-fire holds in Libya after clashes that killed dozens

BENGHAZI, Libya – Libyan authorities say more than a week of heavy fighting in the capital has come to a halt after the U.N. announced a cease-fire between the warring militias.

The fighting between militias allied to the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli and an armed group from a nearby town killed at least 63 people, and underscored the country’s lingering lawlessness more than seven years after the uprising that toppled and killed Moammar Gadhafi.

Interior Minister Abdelsalam Ashour said Wednesday that all parties on the ground have welcomed the cease-fire, which was announced Tuesday, and that “new security measures” will be taken.

Health Minister Omar Bashir says 63 people have been killed and 159 wounded, including civilians, since the clashes began on Aug. 26. He says another 12 people are still missing.