TRIPOLI: Forces loyal to Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar announced yesterday the arrest of a top Islamic State group figure in the south of the North African country. The eastern-based marshal’s forces led an operation in the southern desert town of Ubari targeting the “most prominent leader” of IS in Libya, Mohamed Miloud Mohamed – who goes by Abu Omar – leading to his arrest, said a statement by Haftar’s spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari. Abu Omar was among the top IS leaders in Libya when the group took control of the central coastal city of Sirte in 2015, the statement added. Described as a “dangerous terrorist”, Abu Omar had “close ties” with Abu Moaz al-Iraqi, the head of IS in Libya, who was killed last September by pro-Haftar forces, Mesmari’s statement said. Abu Omar is also accused of having abducted in 2015 four Italian engineers, who were freed after payment of a ransom estimated at €4 million, it added.

Source: Libya Today March 15, 2021 01:41 UTC