There have been reports of gunfire in the Libyan capital shortly after the arrival of a unity government council backed by the United Nations.
Seven members of the government of National Accord have defied warnings from rival factions by travelling to Tripoli by ship.
The Presidential Council was formed late last year under a peace deal mediated by the United Nations.
The move was an effort to end Libya's chaotic political climate that has followed the uprising that toppled leader Muammar Gaddafi five years ago.
The council is supposed to replace the two rival administrations, one in the Libyan capital of Tripoli and the other in the eastern city of Tobruk.
But the administration in Tripoli had warned the council not to travel anywhere near the capital, and it did anyway.
Seven members of the council arrived in Tripoli by sea, with its designate prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj, announcing he had set up a temporary seat of power at a naval base.
(Translated) "The unity government announces its safe arrival in the capital Tripoli. We were eager that there was no bloodshed in this process, and we're committed to the terms of the political agreement that the Libyans agreed on and will expand the participants in it. We'll begin this task in Tripoli by starting a new phase of dialogue and internal communications with our honourable people of all ideological tendencies."
But the foreign minister of the rival government in the capital has called Mr Sarraj's presence unacceptable.
And hours after the council's arrival, heavy firing was heard over the city.
Shops and restaurants closed their doors, and cars lined up outside petrol stations.
Opposing militias have since set up checkpoints in downtown Tripoli.
The United Nations has welcomed the council's arrival and is urging all public bodies to help facilitate a peaceful handover of power.
France's foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, says the council will play a key role in helping stop the expansion of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, also known as Daesh or ISIS.
It has taken advantage of Libya's security vacuum to seize the central city of Sirte.
(Translated)"There is no other solution but a political one. Let's be honest, we must learn our lesson from 2011. We must not do it again, initiatives that don't bring any sustainable solutions and create a state of chaos and disorder. It's detrimental to the Libyan people, but it also allows the expansion of terrorist groups like Daesh and threatens all the countries in the region."
British-based Middle East analyst Professor George Joffe has told Al Jazeera television the council's set-up is a step towards finding a solution in Libya.
"The most likely scenario is, in the very near future, the new government will call upon European states and the United States to help it control the growth of ISIS inside Libya, and, also, the Italians, in particular, want to come in to control the movement of migrants. The migrant season is now just beginning."
But Libya's army, currently based around the city of Benghazi, is opposed to the new government because it is calling for the army's main general to step down.
Also, under the deal brokered by the United Nations, the unity government must secure a vote of approval from the Libyan parliament.
Previous attempts have failed, and the reception in Tripoli is suggesting it, again, will not happen easily.
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