Spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA), Major General Ahmed Al-Mismari, stated that Turkey was transferring hundreds of foreign terrorists from Libya to Azerbaijan. He claimed that Ankara was playing a malicious role in the current conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
In a televised speech, Al-Mismari said that large numbers of extremists are controlling airports in the west of the country. He added that they pose a serious threat to Libya’s security. Al-Mismari confirmed that thousands of Syrian, and foreign mercenaries were transferred to Libya, via Mitiga and Misrata airports. He showed pictures of Abu Abdullah Al-Rabai Al-Tikriti, the leader of IS in North Africa. He was killed by the LNA forces on 14 September, in southern Libya.
The LNA General Command announced the resumption of civil aviation, throughout the country, on the condition that incoming and outgoing aircrafts land at Benghazi’s Benina International Airport. A security inspection will be conducted on the planes to ensure the identity of the passengers. This precaution is to prevent the transport of terrorists and mercenaries from the west, to other areas of the country.
Last week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) claimed that the total number of foreign fighters transferred to Libya, had reached nearly 18,000 mercenaries. 7,100 are believed to have returned to Syria after the end of their contracts and receiving their financial dues. Among these mercenaries, some 350 are under the age of 18.