5 killed in clashes between security forces, gunmen

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency ) Armed clashes broke out on Saturday between a Libyan security force and gunmen in the western city of Khoms, killing five people, Xinxua reported.

"A security force of the Joint Security Chamber in cooperation with a number of other security services carried out a raid to a location in the city to arrest wanted persons accused of killing seven family members last week," Mohammed Abu-Soba, head of Khoms Security Directorate, told Xinhua.

"Three of the Joint Security Chamber personnel and two of the gunmen were killed, according to initial information," Abu-Soba added, stressing that the security situation in the city is stable.

"No information so far has been received about the arrest of the remaining gunmen," he added.

Last week, a dispute over an agricultural land escalated into armed confrontation between gunmen and residents of Khoms, located some 120 km east of the capital Tripoli.

Since the uprising of 2011 that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Libya has been suffering from political division and unrest.

MENAFN2511201701870000ID1096146703