At least 82 civilians from Libya’s Misrata were kidnapped in Tripoli on Tuesday, a senior Libyan official said Wednesday.

Misrata Governor Mohamed Shteewi said he headed to Tripoli to mediate the release of the civilians, who he said were kidnapped on the basis of their identity.

Shteewi said the civilians are from Misrata and were kidnapped by militias that belong to the Bo Selim group. The governor demanded their immediate release.

In response, militias in Tripoli demanded in a statement the withdrawal of other guerrillas that they claim do not belong to the city, indicating signs of a new security crisis in the region.

A security source told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that “security forces blitzed a militia base in southwestern Tripoli and freed six civilians who had been kidnapped a few months earlier.”