Armed men’s cold-blooded killing sparks anger in Libya

BENGHAZI, Libya – Surveillance cameras have caught armed men shooting to death a young man in one of the busiest streets in Libya’s capital Tripoli, sparking anger and demands the government declare a state of emergency.

The footage of the cold-blooded killing of Rashid al-Bakoush and the wounding of his brother on Thursday in Tripoli’s Serraj district went viral on social media.

It underscored the state of lawlessness in Libya, where hundreds of militias hold sway across the country amid the absence of law and order.

Libya’s Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha vowed Friday to arrest the culprits and called for a state of emergency.

“The interior ministry will deal with decisiveness and seriousness with outlaws who cause disturbances to citizens’ lives,” he said.

Years after Moammar Gadhafi’s fall from power, rival governments compete for control of the oil-rich country.