TRIPOLI, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed government on Wednesday formed a military force to secure southern Libya, following escalating tribal violence in the southern city of Sabha, some 800 km southwest of the capital Tripoli.
Prime Minister Fayez Serraj issued orders to commanders of the military zones in the west and the center of the country, as well as Tripoli, to form a military brigade force consisting of a battalion from each military zone.
Serraj stressed that the mission of the force is to protect southern Libya.
The decision came after Sabha, the largest city in the south, witnessed earlier this week violent tribal clashes that killed and wounded more than 45 people, according to the United Nations Mission in Libya.
The clashes in Sabha have been going on since the beginning of February between rival tribes, forcing more than 200 families to flee their homes.
Up till last week, the fighting left 23 dead and 91 injured.
