Clashes escalate in Libya’s capital, killing 26

BENGHAZI, Libya – A Libyan official says fighting between rival militias in the capital has killed at least 26 people, including civilians.

Widad Abu Niran, a Health Ministry spokesman, said Thursday that another 75 people have been wounded in the fighting, which began Monday and pits armed groups from Tripoli against other groups from a town to the south.

Libya slid into chaos after the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country is currently governed by rival authorities in Tripoli and the east, each backed by an array of militias that wield real power on the ground.

Militias supported by the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli proposed a cease-fire on Wednesday.