TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Libya’s interim government submitted its resignation to the newly elected parliament it said on Friday, raising the possibility that a more inclusive government will be formed, while militias in the capital accepted a U.N. call for a cease-fire.
Meanwhile, Islamist militias in eastern Libya claimed to have shot down a fighter jet that had been flying over the eastern city of Bayda, broadcaster Al-Nabaa reported. It said the aircraft was under the command of renegade General Khalifa Hifter, who for months has been fighting Islamist militias in the country’s east.
The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni, said that it had submitted its resignation on Wednesday. It said in statement that it hopes the parliament chooses “a new government that represents all Libyan factions without exclusion.”
Al-Thinni’s government was at odds with militants who have taken over the capital, Tripoli. In stepping down, it has opened a door for a political solution to Libya’s violent divisions.
Militia Spokesman Ahmed Hadiya said in a statement to the media late Thursday that his group will “cooperate with the world.”
Hadiya’s coalition has sought to cement its control over the capital by reviving the outgoing, Islamist-led parliament, which disputes the legitimacy of the newly elected parliament.
Libya is witnessing the worst bout of violence since the toppling down of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
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