Libyan troops managed to uphold a ceasefire between rival groups in the west of the country after three days of deadly clashes, residents told Agence France Presse on Thursday.

"The fighting has stopped and the army is implementing a ceasefire," said Doctor Shukri al-Arabi, who runs the sole clinic of Zuwarah, 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Tripoli.

At least 16 people were killed on Saturday in new clashes between the Toubou people and Arab tribesmen in the southern Libyan desert oasis of Sabha, local and medical sources told Agence France Presse.

A doctor at Sabha hospital, treating Arab casualties, said eight people were killed and another 50 wounded in fighting between the early morning and noon. A Toubou tribal source said eight of their people were also killed.