The Catalans who were trapped in a hotel in Libya are now at the ambassador's residence.

BarcelonaThis morning, a group of twelve people—nine Catalans and three Spaniards—were trapped in a hotel in Tripoli, Libya, due to the ongoing militia conflict in the country. Those affected were part of a trade mission organized by the Tarragona Chamber of Commerce who arrived in the country on Monday, and the hostilities in the area meant they had to spend a few hours in the hotel basement on Wednesday for security reasons.

According to sources from the state government confirmed to ARA, this afternoon the twelve people, who were never in danger, were transferred to the residence of the Spanish ambassador in Libya. Several exporters and the Chamber's international director, Roberto Barros, were on the Tarragona Chamber of Commerce mission. In fact, Barros himself explained the situation in a video released by ACN.

The Tarragona Chamber of Commerce's International Director explained that "at no time" have they felt "any sense of physical danger." "They haven't threatened us, nor do we feel that our lives are in danger. There have been clashes between the militias; the situation is complicated, and the night has been long," he stated. He added that the militias did not approach them and that they "have no interest" in them. He explained that they had gone down to the basement only to avoid the risk of a stray bullet, and that the situation calmed down hours later. The group's plan was to return to Catalonia tomorrow, Thursday, but due to the ongoing conflict in the country, they still don't know when they will be able to take their return flight.

Armed clashes in the capital

The militia war has been constant in Libya since the fall of Moammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, amid the wave of uprisings that swept the region. From time to time, clashes have reached the capital. Just on Monday, fighting erupted between the various factions vying for control of Tripoli. The trigger was the death of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, alias "Ghani al-Kikli". Gheniwa, head of the militia that calls itself the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), considered the most powerful in the city. According to Agence France-Presse, the clashes occurred in Abu Salim, a working-class neighborhood, leaving at least six dead.

This is the most serious wave of violence in Tripoli since the summer of 2023 and has once again made the population hostage to urban warfare. Videos posted on social media show nighttime scenes with heavy weapons fire, columns of black smoke emerging from residential neighborhoods, and armed men with armored vehicles on the streets. This afternoon, the Defense Minister announced a ceasefire.