Libyan government forces recapture Tripoli airport

Libyan authorities have wrested back control of Tripoli International Airport from ex-rebels who occupied the runway, surrounding planes and grounding all flights in response to the disappearance and possible arrest of their commander, officials said.

It took until Monday evening for the authorities to regain control of the airport when transitional government forces stormed it after negotiations with the fighters broke down, Omar al-Khadrawi, deputy interior minister in Libya's transitional government, told journalists.

Dozens of the militiamen who drove armoured trucks onto the runway forcing flight diversions have been arrested, Libya's deputy interior minister said.

Earlier, gunfire was heard when troops and other militias entered the airport to oust the brigade.

The al-Awfia brigade had refused to leave until their demands were met.

It is unclear exactly how the stand-off was resolved and whether the government made concessions to the brigade.

Flights were not expected to resume for at least 24 hours because of the damage caused to the airport's infrastructure.

A government official said the group, called al-Awfea Brigade, from the town of Tarhouna, 80km southeast of the Libyan capital, was demanding the release of their leader who they said disappeared two days ago.

The official news agency LANA, citing witnesses, said that the motive of the brigade was to pressure the government to explain the whereabouts of their commander, Colonel Abu Ajila al-Habshi.

LANA said the armed men fired into the air, slightly wounding an airport employee and causing panic among travellers.

There have been no reports of casualties, although Omar Khadrawi, Libya's deputy interior minister, said a hangar had been blown up and a field set alight.

"The authorities have complete control over the airport," Khadrawi told journalists in Tripoli.

He described the militia that occupied the runway as saboteurs.

The NTC is still struggling to fully integrate many Libyans who fought forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the longtime ruler who was overthrown and killed in October last year.

The former rebel fighters have remained in organised armed brigades, taking it upon themselves to ensure law and order in the absence of fully functional police and armed forces.

Monday's incident at Tripoli airport comes as Libya prepares to hold elections for a 200-seat constituent assembly later this month, although it is thought that the vote will be delayed until the first week of July at the earliest.

Violent incidents, such as a deadly raid on the government's headquarters last month, have raised concerns over the capacity of authorities to secure the first election after decades under Gaddafi's rule.

Ethnic unrest in the south, calls for greater autonomy in the east, and corruption are just some of the challenges facing the NTC.