In Libya: Swift Security Operation and Liberation of 1,300 Egyptians

The Ministry of Interior in the Libyan Government of National Unity announced late Tuesday into Wednesday the liberation of 1,300 Egyptians who were detained in the country. The Libyan newspaper "Al-Wasat" reported that the Deputy Minister of Interior, Faraj Al-Abdali, stated that these Egyptians had been held in a farm for three months in the area of Bir Al-Ashhab, which is about 70 kilometers from the city of Tobruk in eastern Libya. Al-Abdali added that the operation to free the Egyptians took place during an extensive security campaign, which included forces such as the "frogmen" of the Libyan National Army, along with other security forces. He mentioned that the liberated Egyptians were repatriated to their country immediately after their release. He noted the ongoing campaign to enforce the law and uphold the authority of the state, starting from Tobruk to the Libyan-Egyptian border. Al-Abdali called on the elders, sheikhs, and wise men of the region to withdraw social protection from criminals and lawbreakers. In the past, Libyan authorities have freed numbers of Egyptians who were held in the country, which has been mired in chaos for nearly a decade. Egyptian workers have faced kidnapping incidents in Libya in recent years due to the security chaos and the presence of armed and extremist groups.