On 11 July, four young men were killed in Zawiyya when unidentified gunmen targeted a vehicle positioned in front of the New University in the Al Sayyida Al Zeinab area in southeastern Zawiyya, unleashing a barrage of gunfire. The intense shooting caused the vehicle to burst into flames, killing everyone inside. The vehicle completely burned out.
After the murder, no official statements were released detailing the circumstances or motives behind the assault, and no group has claimed responsibility. The deadly incident, the circumstances and the general lack of security in Zawiyya sparked widespread grief and outrage among residents, prompting local calls for a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
In the evening, following the brutal killing of the four young men the day before, there were widespread street protests and heightened tensions across Zawiyya. Driven by grief and anger over the persistent climate of impunity and the unchecked influence of local militias, whom residents suspect to be behind the attack, demonstrators, including relatives of the victims, took to the streets. Protesters blocked several major roads, including al-Daman Street in central Zawiyya and the Coastal Road, and burned tires while demanding an immediate, transparent investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The political representatives of Zawiyya in the House of Representatives and the High State Council issued a joint statement condemning the security collapse in their hometown. The lawmakers expressed deep concern over the escalating violence and targeted killings of the city’s youth, stating that the continuous chaos is no longer acceptable. They urgently called upon the General Staff of the Army and the Western Military Region Command to intervene decisively, restore state authority, enforce the rule of law, and secure the region before the instability spreads further across western Libya.
On 13 July in the morning, armed clashes broke out between the Counter Security Threats Agency and the al-Kabwat militia in the area along the Coastal Road between the Refinery Road and Al-Fasi, about 2 km east of the Refinery Bridge. Some skirmishes also took place in al-Harsha, west of the Refinery Road. A member of the Counter Security Threats Agency was killed in the fighting. Before noon, the fighting calmed down and ended while the situation in western Zawiyya remained tense.
The Counter Security Threats Agency affirmed its commitment to pursuing anyone who threatens the region’s security and stability. The Agency added that it will take all necessary legal actions against those involved in the killing of its officer, vowing to bring them to justice and ensure they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
The Social Council of the Western Region issued a statement in which it called upon the PM Abdul Hameed Dabaiba, the Chief of the General Staff, and the Commander of the Western Military Region to take urgent action to contain violence in Zawiyya and in the whole Western Region.