Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates ( CNN ) -- A tense calm prevailed over Libya 's capital Thursday after days of chaos left at least seven people dead -- including a 12-year-old boy . But it 's unclear if the violence is really over -- or even who the warring groups are . ICC to Libya : Hand over Gadhafi 's son . Sounds of heavy gunfire and explosions echoed across Tripoli on Wednesday night , sending waves of confusion and panic as residents were n't sure who was behind the attacks . Medical sources in Abu Saleem Hospital said two people , including a 12-year-old boy , died Wednesday from injuries sustained in the clashes , the state news agency LANA reported . The hospital also said it was treating a number of injured from the violence . LANA said it was not clear what groups were involved in Wednesday 's fighting . It quoted witnesses as saying the densely populated Abu Saleem area was in a state of `` panic and fear '' as fighting closed off main roads in the area , including the one leading to the international airport . It was not clear if the fighting Wednesday was linked to deadly clashes in another southern Tripoli neighborhood a day earlier . Attack at oil protection force . On Tuesday , an armed group attacked the headquarters of the Petroleum Facilities Protection Guard ( PFG ) in the Salaheddin district of the capital . The Libyan government said at least five people were killed and nearly two dozen others wounded in the heavy fighting . The PFG -- a Ministry of Defense force tasked with protecting Libya 's oil field -- said an armed group from the western city of Zintan surrounded at attacked its Tripoli headquarters . Opinion : Libya needs U.S. help for security . It said the group had previously been tasked with securing Al-Sharara field -- one of Libya 's biggest oil fields in the south of the country . The attackers used light and heavy weapons , including anti-aircraft weapons , and injured at least six people , PFG said in a statement . The armed group fled the scene after back up forces arrived , the statement said . Tripoli 's Supreme Security Committee ( SSC ) , a security body in the capital , said its forces who were protecting the PFG headquarters came under fire by the attackers . A commander of one of its brigades was killed in the attack , the SSC said in a statement . The security body also said the armed group fled to a nearby former military base and positioned snipers on the rooftops of the buildings . Clashes between members of the SSC and the armed group ensued . Read more : Protesters , militia members clash in Benghazi ; 28 die . Dozens of casualties were reported by the SSC . It said one of its members was killed in addition to three Ministry of Defense personnel in the clashes . The SSC said Tuesday 's violence was related to Wednesday 's clashes , but it was unclear exactly how . A sign of the times . While inter-militia clashes in the Libyan capital became less frequent over the past year , the latest fighting underscores one of the biggest challenges facing Libya . Since the 2011 fall of Moammar Gadhafi 's regime , the country has been awash in weapons and militias . Some of these militias have been legitimatized by the Libyan government , while others have not . As militias refuse to disarm or work under the authority of the state , Libya is still struggling to build its security forces -- something the prime minister said would take years . The government heavily relies on militias that are mostly divided along regional lines to try to secure the country . More attacks elsewhere . In addition to Tripoli 's violence , three car bombs exploded Wednesday evening across the southern city of Sabha , killing at least two people and injuring 17 others , LANA reported . One of the car bombs exploded on a commercial street , a second blew up near a security directorate and the third went off outside a hotel in the center of town , the agency said . CNN 's Holly Yan contributed to this report .
At least five people are killed during clashes in Sabha this week . Two people , including a 12-year - old boy , died Wednesday . At least five people were killed Tuesday when a group attacked an airport protection force . Separately , three car bombs explode in Sabha , killing two people .