The number of people killed in armed clashes in Tripoli, Libya's capital, has risen to 16, with 34 injured, according to Osama Ali, a spokesman for the city Ambulance and Emergency Services.

Fierce fighting between armed groups erupted in Tripoli on Friday. The media reported that the clashes were caused by the detention of a member of one of the groups.

"The death toll from the clashes in Tripoli has risen to 16, the number of injured to 34," Ali said.

People in Libya have been protesting in large numbers since early July, expressing their dissatisfaction with the country's deteriorating living conditions.

All eyes will be soon on #Libya as elections approach: With all the problems the country suffers from, a lack of natural resources isn't one of them. pic.twitter.com/eHwIx9TUBd

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 19, 2021

At least nine people were killed Friday in heavy clashes between militias in Libya's capital Tripoli overnight Thursday and Friday, as per emergency services.

Updating an earlier death toll, emergency services told Al-Ahrar TV that a child was among the nine killed and that 25 other people, including civilians, had been injured, several of them seriously.

It is worth noting that tensions in the North African country have been rising for months as two prime ministers vie for power, raising fears of renewed conflict.

Since the 2011 NATO-fueled conflict in Libya, the country has been split between the two parties, with the rival sides of the conflict concluding their latest round of talks almost two months ago without reaching a deal to try and set the rules for the country's elections.

The presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya, originally set for December 2021, were supposed to be the result of the UN-sponsored peace process after the last round of violence shook the country from 2019 to 2020. The vote never took place because of deep disagreements between factions.