Tripoli factions on edge as Libya stalemate festers

STORY: Much of Libya has for years been dominated by armed forces that control territory and vie for position while formally acting as paid elements of state security, their presence vividly apparent during a recent Reuters visit.

In Tripoli, tensions over the standoff between the unity government installed last year and a rival one endorsed by the eastern-based parliament have added to earlier friction in the capital over such groups' relative standing.

Four people were reported injured in the shootout but in a sign of how transitory - and even normal - such flashpoints have become for city residents, the park was busy again the following morning with families strolling and buying ice creams from a van.

However, there are growing signs that wider clashes could happen, putting the 2020 ceasefire between the main sides in the civil war at risk.