On 30 January in the morning, several military leaders of the West Coast Military District inspected the 103rd Infantry Battalion as part of efforts to reinforce discipline and combat readiness. The visit included a review of heavy military equipment and an assessment of the battalion’s technical and operational preparedness. Commanders stressed that continuous training, professionalism and strict discipline are essential to building a capable national deterrent force that can safeguard Libya’s sovereignty and stability.
In the evening, heavy fighting broke out in the al-Sayyida al-Zeinab region southeast of the centre of Zawiyya, south of the Coastal Road between forces of the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA) led by Hassan Abu Zuriba and members of the 459th Border Guard Battalion commanded by Muhammad al-Murtada. Fighting escalated through the evening, with both sides deploying heavy weapons in residential neighbourhoods near the southern university complex. The SSA received reinforcements from al-Far’s First Support Force, while Othman al‑Lahab’s 103rd Infantry Battalion attempted to separate the belligerent parties, but failed.
The violence prompted repeated warnings from the Red Crescent and emergency services, urging residents to stay indoors, avoid windows, and calling for safe corridors to evacuate trapped families.
Before midnight after intense fighting, the SSA and the First Support Force seized al-Murtada’s HQ in al-Sayyida al-Zeinab, leading to the collapse and withdrawal of his units. Despite the takeover, heavy clashes continued until the early morning.
On 31 January, the situation calmed down in the early morning, after the 103rd Infantry Battalion managed to deploy to secure the district and restore stability with the consent of the belligerent parties.
During the day, Turkish-made combat drones, including a twin-engined Bayraktar Akıncı, patrolled the combat zone. In the evening, Muammar al-Dhawi hosted a ‘reconciliation meeting’ between Abu Zuriba and al-Murtada.
Also in the evening, al-Far’s First Support Force said that its units cooperated with the SSA in a ‘successful security operation’ eliminating a ‘terrorist group’ led by Muhammad al-Murtada and Muhammad al-Lafi aka al-Shababi. They claimed that the group was supported by the GNU, which was seeking to use them to destabilize Zawiyya’s security and stability. Al-Far affirmed that they would respond with force against anyone attempting to destabilize the city’s security for foreign agendas.