Western Libya: UNSMIL personnel freed after hours of detention by gunmen

Al-Zawiya [Libya], June 29 (ANI): A convoy of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), including four men and two women, was released after being detained by an armed group for hours on Wednesday evening, security sources from Al-Zawiya city reported.

The UNSMIL convoy was detained by gunmen in Al-Zawiya while it was en route to Tripoli, according to local media outlet.

"The armed group was persuaded into letting the UN staffers go without any harm and any further escalation; and they are fine and will be flown back to Tripoli," The Libya Observer quoted sources, as saying.

"The car that attacked the UNSMIL convoy by small arms was for someone called Ali Al-Kardmin, who is a Dignity Operation-linked fighter," the local media cited security sources from Al-Zawiya, as saying.

Sources also say that the attack on the UNSMIL convoy might have come as a retaliation for the arrest of some men from the attacking armed group by Tripoli-based Special Deterrence Force.

"The armed group wanted to trade the UNSMIL staffers with its arrested fighters," the sources explained. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI