A ceasefire came into effect across Tripoli on Wednesday after fierce clashes between rival militias, Libya's internationally recognised government said.

"Regular forces, in co-ordination with the relevant security authorities, have begun taking the necessary measures to ensure calm, including the deployment of neutral units," the Defence Ministry said.

With at least one major militia group under the ministry reported to have been involved in the clashes, the statement did not elaborate on which of them it considered neutral or where they were being deployed.

At least six people were killed, including a top militia leader, in the violence involving heavy weapons that began on Monday evening following the killing of the powerful militia head Abdelghani Al Kikli, also known as Gheniwa. The clashes have been centred in Tripoli’s southern neighbourhood of Abu Salim.

The Tripoli government said late on Tuesday that it had begun asserting control, although the fighting continued overnight into Wednesday, according to witnesses and local media reports.

Violence also erupted in western areas of Tripoli that have historically been a gateway for armed factions from Zawiya, a town to the west of the capital

Witnesses reported sounds of gunfire and explosions at about midnight, with heavy deployment of militia groups in several areas of the capital including Souq Al Juma and around Mitiga airport.

Flights were diverted from Mitiga to Misurata airport, about 180km east along the coast from Tripoli, data compiled by tracking platforms showed. Flights have been suspended since early on Wednesday.

Prisoners managed to escape from Al Jadida prison in Tripoli, including some who were jailed for serious crimes, police said.

Intense fighting near the prison caused panic and fear among the inmates, the authorities added.

The Tripoli Red Crescent Society declared a state of emergency and raised the alert level to maximum in the city on Tuesday night. The agency urged citizens to be cautious and to follow instructions issued by relevant authorities, it said in a post on social media.

The Chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed Al Menfi, said that maintaining peace in the capital was a collective responsibility that “cannot be neglected” and that state institutions must remain above political tensions.

Mr Al Menfi said in a meeting with top Libyan officials that “the current situation requires a unified internal front and a national project that avoid chaos”.

The UN mission in Libya on Tuesday urged all parties to “immediately cease fighting and restore calm”, reminding them of their obligation to protect civilians.

“Attacks on civilians and civilian objects may amount to war crimes,” it said.

Libya is struggling to recover from years of unrest since a 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi.

Control of the North African country is disputed between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east, aligned with Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

Despite relative calm in recent years, clashes periodically break out between armed groups vying for territory. In August 2023, 55 people were killed in fighting between two factions in Tripoli.