Libya's deputy industry minister shot dead

 

Libya's deputy minister of industry was shot dead during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, east of Tripoli, security and hospital sources have said.

Hassan al-Droui, a former member of Libya's National Transitional Council, was killed near Mekmdas market in central Sirte after evening prayers on Sunday, media coordinator for the Tripoli Security Directorate, Essam Naas, confirmed to local newspaper, Libya Herald.
"Hassan al-Droui, the deputy minister for industry, was killed by unknown attackers overnight, during a visit to his native city of Sirte," a security official told AFP news agency.
Meanwhile, fighting between rival tribes in southern Libya killed 19 people on Saturday and wounded another 20, a local official said.
"Violent confrontations broke out between Toubous and Awled Sleiman early this morning," Ayoub al-Zarrouk, chief of the local council in Sebha told AFP.
"So far there are 19 dead and 20 wounded."
Local sources said the clashes were sparked by the death on Thursday of a militia chief linked to Awled Sleiman, adding that the tribe accused the Toubous of murdering him.
Saturday's fighting is the worst between the tribes since they struck a cease-fire agreement in March 2012 following deadly battles that killed at least 150 people and wounded 400 others.
The Toubous are black oasis farmers by tradition who also live in southern Libya, northern Chad and Niger.
They have complained in the past of attempted ethnic cleansing against their community by Arab tribesmen.