Libyan prison riot kills two inmates near Tripoli

At least two inmates have been killed and several others wounded during a riot at a major prison near the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

The two prisoners died in unrest at the al-Roumi prison at Ain Zara, a western suburb of Tripoli, Libya’s official news agency LANA reported on Saturday.

According to the deputy prison chief Ashraf Zayed, the riot broke out overnight, in which inmates set fire to parts of the detention center and attacked guards in an attempt to escape.

Zayed added that the two prisoners, a Libyan and a national from sub-Sahara, were killed during a subsequent stampede.

The deputy prison chief said the situation at the jail, which houses 700 inmates, was “now under control” after security forces quelled the “rebellion” and foiled the escape attempt.

The riot came just a day after ten inmates escaped after gunmen attacked a van carrying prisoners to a tribunal in the capital.

Prison breaks happen regularly in Libya due to the inability of the police and army to establish security in the country.

Last December, at least 40 inmates escaped from a prison in the southern Libyan city of Sabha after it came under attack by unknown gunmen.

Libya has been gripped by lawlessness following the 2011 uprising against the rule of the former dictator Muammar Ghaddafi. Since then, myriad militia groups have been carving out their own territories across the mostly desert country.

The former rebels refuse to lay down arms despite efforts by the central government to impose law and order.

Political analysts believe the ongoing tensions in Libya could slip out of control if a political solution is not found.