On 23 April, fighting broke out in the early morning between the al-Nasr Brigade from the Awlad Abu Hmeira tribe (led by Muhammed Kashlaf aka al-Qasseb) and militias loyal to Muhammed Bahroun aka al-Far near the al-Rukaina Market in Zawiyya and continued until noon. It resulted in the death of a young man, at least two people severely injured, and some damage to several houses. Families trapped amidst the violence appealed to the al-Zawiyya Red Crescent for evacuation due to random shelling and gunfire hitting residential areas.
On 24 April, the dead body of a young man was found with hands cuffed and showing signs of torture near the power station in Zawiyya.
The incident ignited widespread anger among the young people of Zawiyya, who vowed to escalate their actions, potentially shutting down the Zawiyya refinery and ports associated with smuggling operations, until the ongoing security chaos and armed clashes between rival groups in the city are resolved.
On 27 April in the early morning, al-Rukaina Market in Zawiyya was again the scene of fighting between rival militias, this time between the al-Nasr Brigade and the al-Maddah. The fighting was marked by indiscriminate gunfire, sparking fear among local residents.
On 28 April, a few hundred Zawiyya residents staged a street protest calling for the resignation of the Dabaiba government for failing to provide security.