Libya’s Haftar admits sending captured Tunisian ISIS militants back to their country

Astonishing admission by Haftar says he ordered return of Tunisian ISIS militants to their country.

BY Libyan Express May 12, 2019 - 13:52 Updated: May 12, 2019 - 16:08

In a clip excerpted from an interview with France 24 and posted on Twitter by Head of Quilliam Foundation Noman Benotman, Khalifa Haftar says he used to order his forces to return captured Tunisian ISIS militants to their country’s borders so they could freely go home.

“We received lots of Tunisian ISIS fighters. You are kind of exporting them in Tunisia. So we capture them and then take them back to the borders to the nearest point and tell them to go home.”

Haftar tells the interview host, who asks with a shocked tone; “You let them go like that?” and Haftar replies proudly; “Yes we put them at the borders and tell them to go home.”

This might be a surprise for the regional and international supporters of Haftar, who frequently claim the his actions aim to root out terrorism, which is also the claim used by Haftar to attack Tripoli.

Over the span of 38 days of Tripoli offensive, two ISIS-linked attacks took place in Libya’s southern region – one in Fuqahaa town and the other was in Ghadwa town.

The Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord blamed Haftar’s attack on Tripoli for the reemergence of ISIS and criminal groups as they could use the security vacuum for their terrorist or criminal acts.

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