Libya football riots spread to Tripoli as fans torch government building

By Aleksandar Brezar with AFP Published on 15/05/2026 - 15:28 GMT+2•Updated 15:50 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp

Fans rioted after a disputed referee decision ended a Libyan league match in Tarhunah, with violence spreading to Tripoli where the Government of National Unity's headquarters was set on fire.

Clashes that erupted after a football match in a western Libyan town left several people injured, authorities said Friday, while a government building was set on fire in Tripoli.

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Fights began in the town of Tarhunah, some 80 kilometres south of the capital, after a match between Tripoli's Al-Ittihad SCSC and Misrata's Asswehly SC on Thursday.

The match, which was part of the title play-off in Libya's top football division, was held behind closed doors.

It was suspended shortly before the final whistle after Al-Ittihad's players protested over a penalty kick they believed should have been awarded, Libyan news agency LANA reported.

The incident led to fights between supporters and security forces outside the stadium, according to the news agency.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Unity deployed one of its most powerful armed factions, the 444th Combat Brigade, to contain the situation.

The brigade claimed one of its members had been killed by gunfire and confirmed its units fired live rounds at protesters, according to Arabic-language media reports.

The soldier's death was not confirmed by the authorities or independent news outlets.

Players and journalists covering the match were also among those injured, and several vehicles, including a Libyan sports channel's broadcast van, were burned.

The Libyan Presidential Council said people targeted the council of ministers' headquarters in Tripoli "with acts of sabotage and arson," with local media reporting that several offices inside the government compound were set on fire. The blaze was quickly contained, LANA said.

The council called for an investigation into the "unfortunate events", saying that feelings of injustice must be addressed legally and "not through violence".

The violence in Tripoli is the most serious civil disturbance in the Libyan capital in several months.

Earlier in May, armed clashes in the western city of Zawiya — also controlled by the Tripoli government — killed nine people and injured 23 others.

The 444th Combat Brigade was reportedly linked to the February killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, but has denied any involvement in the incident.

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• Football violence
• Libya
• Clashes