Updated

A Libyan security official says clashes between tribes of African and Arab origins have killed five people in a southern Libyan town, the latest sign of chaos in the country.

The official says a fight Monday between two men from al-Shourafa Arab tribe and Tabu in Zweila town in the southern Fezzan region escalated to clashes between members of the two tribes, leaving five dead and three wounded. Warring factions fired light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.

A number of houses and cars were set ablaze, he said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisals.

The African Tabu, the original inhabitants of parts of south Libya, were heavily suppressed under the ousted regime of Moammar Gadhafi. The new government has struggled to impose order.