Rival Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha, who was appointed by the east-based pro-putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar parliament, said he would establish his government in the city of Sirte after clashes broke out during his attempt to seat his government in Tripoli.

Bashagha said he believes in the democratic process and the peaceful transfer of the government. He said his government will start working from Sirte and enter Tripoli only by peaceful means.

Clashes erupted in Tripoli between armed groups loyal to Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and rival leader Bashagha, who was recently appointed as premier by the Tobruk-based parliament.

Bashagha reached the capital Tuesday night to take control of the government from Dbeibah, who refused to do so.

However, a security source told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Bashagha was forced to leave the capital after fierce clashes were reported between the two sides.

Meanwhile, Algeria is following with concern the latest developments in "brotherly country Libya" after the conflicts in Tripoli, the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Algeria also called for restraint and urged the Libyan parties "to refrain from escalating tensions," stressing that "for a democratic and modern country, the best interests of Libya should be prioritized."

For more than two months, there have been two governments in Libya: The national unity government led by Dbeibeh and the one granted confidence in early March by the Tobruk-based House of Representatives.

Dbeibah had previously said that he would only cede authority to a government that comes through an "elected parliament," raising fears that the oil-rich country could slip back into a civil war.

Dbeibah was installed a year ago through a United Nations-backed process and says his government remains valid and he will only cede power after a rescheduled election that he says he will hold in June.

Parliament has declared that Dbeibah's term expired when the December election did not take place as planned, and the chamber has instead chosen Bashagha to lead a new transition with elections to follow next year.

Parliament's position is backed by the eastern-based putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar, who waged a 14-month war on Tripoli from 2019 to 2020. Armed factions in the capital and western regions appear divided over the crisis, with some saying on Tuesday they opposed parliament's move to install a new government.

Bashagha, a former interior minister, said he was committed to holding elections within the time frame next year set out by parliament, adding that he wanted to achieve agreement between rival political institutions on the issue.

Disputes over basic rules for the election led to the collapse of the planned vote in December.