Irish-Libyan 'revolutionary' elected as Tripoli mayor

Mahdi al-Harati, an Irish-Libyan who commanded rebel groups in both Libya and Syria, was elected mayor of Tripoli on Wednesday, state news agency Lana reported.

Harati, 41, who spent 20 years in Ireland and married an Irish woman, was chosen by the Libyan capital's new municipal council, voted in on May 17.

He returned to Libya in 2011 to take part in the armed revolt which overthrew longtime dictator Moamer Gaddafi, founding a Tripoli Brigade in western Libya that fought its way into the capital in August of that year.

Sought after by the Western media for his command of English, he became a well-known figure during the conflict.

After the fall of Gaddafi's regime, he became deputy military chief for Tripoli before travelling to Syria where he joined the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

He founded and commanded Liwa Al-Umma, a rebel group made up of Syrians and foreigners, then made his way back to Libya in September 2012.

Harati describes himself as a "revolutionary".

He takes over as mayor of a city where rival militias have clashed in a series of deadly skirmishes since July 13.