Libya: Release of more than thousand migrants held by human traffickers

The General Command of the Libyan National Army reported today, Saturday, that the army managed to free more than a thousand irregular migrants, including women and children, near the Shwerif region in southwestern Libya, and the detention of members of the gang responsible for their detention for human trafficking.

The director of the media office of the General Command of the Libyan National Army, Colonel Khalifa Al-Obaidi, told Sputnik news agency: “The forces of General Tariq bin Ziyad Al-Mu’azzi, affiliated with the Libyan National Army, managed to free more than a thousand illegal immigrants, most of whom are of African nationality. “They were kept in a large human trafficking den near the Shwerif region. »

He added: “The operation included the release of women and children who were among the prisoners,” emphasising that “the forces arrested the gang responsible for these illegal activities and the migrants were transferred to a safe place, where all their needs were met and they were accommodated in a suitable place.

The Libyan military official underscored that “the operational forces of General Tariq bin Ziyad raided the hideout and large quantities of drugs were discovered in the gang involved in human trafficking and detaining immigrants.”

Al-Obeidi explained: “This operation is part of the Libyan National Army’s ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and secure the borders, in addition to protecting citizens and immigrants from criminal gangs.”