IHS Jane: Arrests of Al-Qaeda-linked militants in Libya shows efforts of deploying terrorists in North Africa

BY Libyan Express Mar 21, 2018 - 10:50

(FILES) A picture taken on October 25, 2013 shows members of jihadist group Al-Nusra Front taking part in a parade calling for the establishment of an Islamic state in Syria, at the Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood of Aleppo.

The General Command of the eastern-based self-styled army led by Khalifa Haftar announced on 20 March that fighter aircraft had launched a number of airstrikes targeting two large groups of militants in southern Libya, without providing further details.

The airstrikes came two days after the the command’s counter-terrorism department arrested 16 militants in the city of Kufra, during a sweep operation in which another group of militants managed to evade arrest.

According to the Haftar-led forces’ counter-terrorism department statement, the 16 arrested militants had Sudanese and Syrian passports and had fought in Syria with Jabhat al-Nusra and other Al-Qaeda-affiliated entities.

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