Football Fury Turns Into Firestorm Across Libya As Streets Erupt In Violence

(Building Set Ablaze. Photo by ARY News)

Violence broke out in a western Libyan town following a football match, leaving several people hurt, while a government building in the capital Tripoli was set ablaze, authorities confirmed on Friday.

The trouble started in Tarhuna, a town roughly 80 kilometres south of Tripoli, after a match between Tripoli's Al-Ittihad SCSC and Misrata's Asswehly SC on Thursday.

The game, which was played without spectators in attendance, was stopped just before the final whistle after Al-Ittihad players objected to what they felt was an unfair refusal to award them a penalty kick, according to the Libyan news agency LANA.

The dispute on the pitch spilled over outside the stadium, where clashes broke out between fans and security forces.

Separately in Tripoli, the Libyan Presidential Council reported that individuals attacked and vandalized the council of ministers' headquarters, setting it on fire.

The blaze was brought under control quickly, LANA reported.

The Presidential Council condemned the incidents and called for a formal investigation, stressing that grievances and feelings of injustice should be resolved through legal means rather than through acts of violence.