Clashes erupted Wednesday in Tarhouna after Libyan Army forces under the Government of National Accord raided locations of armed groups that are practicing torture, extorting and kidnap, a source from the raiding brigade (444) said.

Brigade 444 said it was carrying out an operation in Tarhouna as per General Prosecutor’s orders to arrest four people over kidnap and torture as well as extortion of families whose sons were fighting for Al-Kani militias of Khalifa Haftar in the war on Tripoli.

The source said the armed groups rejected handing in the four wanted persons, which led to the raid that ended with detaining several of the gunmen as others fled the city.

Meanwhile, a source from Misrata said the joint operations force ambushed the fleeing gunmen in Zlitin and detained a number of them with their weapons and vehicles.

These armed groups are from Tarhouna and they were outside the city when Al-Kani militias were in control as they were subject to kidnap and extortion as well as killing at the time.

When the war on Tripoli by Haftar broke, these armed groups fought against Al-Kani militias and Haftar's forces and helped GNA forces to recapture the city of Tarhouna. They were allowed to join peacekeeping forces in the city provided that they avoided vendetta, the source explained.