(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Fighting between gunmen broke out on Monday outside a newly opened financial building in the Libyan capital’s Siyahiya district killing one person.
The gunmen were waiting in line at MoneyGram Monday morning when an argument began about who could get the most money from bank.
“The gunmen were actually there to transfer money but got a bit greedy and fought one another using heavy and medium machine guns,” said a source to a local news agency.
One eyewitness identified the person that was killed as Mohamed Musrati who was one of the gunmen.
According to the eyewitness, the gunmen were also attempting to block the public from accessing MoneyGram so that they could get all the money.
The MoneyGram staff were able to escape before the intense fighting began, however, “considerable damage” was done to the building, according to the eyewitness.
An investigation has been launched to hold those involved accountable for their actions.
The political instability and lack of security in Libya that took over the country after the Libyan uprising in 2011 has destroyed the Libyan economy. Residents of Tripoli have been frustrated by soaring grocery prices and limited availability of cash at financial institutions.