A pet monkey may have triggered deadly tribal fighting in Libya

According to activists and locals in the southern city of Sabha, four days of fighting erupted after three men from one of the city’s main tribes, the Gaddadfa, set a monkey loose on a high school girl, where it bit and scratched her, and pulled off her headscarf, reports the Associated Press. Members from another powerful tribe, Awlad Suleiman, reportedly sought revenge by killing the young men and the monkey.

The ensuing conflict between the two most powerful tribes in Sabha — both are backed by armed militia — escalated after two days with the use of tanks and mortars, Reuters reports.