Armed group forces closure of Libya's Interior MinistryJuly 3, 2013 - 10:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An armed group forced the closure of Libya's Interior Ministry on Tuesday, July 2 emptying the building of officials before leaving the scene, police said, according to Reuters. An Interior Ministry source said the group was demanding the resignation of the minister because of the government's reliance on some militias for security, but this could not immediately be verified. "An unknown group dressed in fatigues arrived and demanded that we close the Interior Ministry," a police officer said. The armed group said it wanted police and army to be in charge of security, he added. Tuesday's incident happened in the evening when there were few people inside the building, said the Interior Ministry source, who was not on the scene but familiar with the matter. "There were not many guards inside, so to avoid any clashes, the ministry was closed," he said. Asked what the group wanted, he said: "They were calling for the minister to resign because of his dependence on" a force known as the Supreme Security Committee. Last week, some of the SSC's members clashed with a rival militia in Tripoli, highlighting the rivalries between heavily armed groups roaming the country since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. That violence, in which 10 people were killed and more than 100 injured, led to the removal of the defense minister. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |