At least 50 killed in south Libyan tribal clashes

TRIPOLI, Libya — A Libyan Health Ministry official says at least 50 people have been killed in two days of tribal clashes in a southern city.

The battles underlined the fragile nature of Libya after the fall of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi last year. The new government has been unable to impose its authority, and Libya is ruled instead by squabbling tribes and militias.

Libyan Health Ministry official Abdul-Rahman al-Hasnawy said Tuesday most of the 50 died from gunshot and shrapnel wounds. He said about 160 people have been wounded, and some were transferred to other cities for treatment.

The clashes in Sabha, about 650 kilometers (400 miles) south of the capital, Tripoli, erupted Monday after a man from the Tabu tribe allegedly killed a member of the Abu Seif tribe.