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Officials and activists in Libya say that a deadly clash between tribes has been set off by a pet monkey.
The details are not entirely clear, but sources in the southern city of Sabha say the violence was triggered after a monkey belonging to members of one tribe attacked a group of schoolgirls belonging to another.
One report from AP news agency said three young men turned a pet monkey loose on a high school girl last week.
The girl’s family sought revenge after the monkey scratched and bit her and killed all three men along with the animal.
That provoked killings in revenge, which led to four days of clashes. At least 16 people are reported to have been killed and dozens more wounded.
The two main tribes in Sabha, Awlad Suleiman and Gadhadhfa, are each backed by armed groups, AP reports.
Libya slid into chaos after its long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011. Much of the country is effectively ruled by a patchwork of militias.
Source: BBC
