Sixteen people killed and 50 wounded in Libya over clash of Monkey among two tribes

An incident involving a monkey saw two tribes come to blows in Libya, leaving 16 people dead.

A further 50 were wounded following the clashes between rival factions in the southern city of Sabha, the heart of the country's smuggling and human trafficking network.

According to residents, the latest bout of violence erupted between the Awlad Suleiman and Gaddadfa tribes when a monkey belonging to a shopkeeper from the Gaddadfa tribe attacked a group of schoolgirls passing by.

The monkey pulled off one of the girls' head scarf, leading men from the Awlad Suleiman tribe to retaliate.

They killed three people from the Gaddadfa tribe as well as the monkey, according to a resident who spoke to Reuters.

The resident, who wished to remain anonymous because of security concerns, said: 'There was an escalation on the second and third days with the use of tanks, mortars and other heavy weapons.

'There are still sporadic clashes and life is completely shut down in the areas where there has been fighting.'

Like other parts of Libya, Sabha has been periodically plagued by conflict since the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi five years ago split the country into rival factions.

In the Sabha region - a hub for migrant and arms smuggling in Libya's often neglected south - militia abuses and the deterioration of living conditions have been especially acute.

The Gaddadfa and the Awlad Suleiman represent the most powerful armed factions in the region.

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