Terrorist Hisham Ashmawy transferred from LNA to Cairo

Islam Mohamed

The Libyan National Army (LNA) has handed over Hisham Ashmaqy to the Egyptian authorities on Tuesday. Ashmaqy was handed over following a visit by Major General Abbas Kamel, head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, to Libya, where he met with Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

President Abdel Fatah El Sisi praised the Egyptian military for capturing Ashmawy in Libya, describing them as “hawks” and “heroes” who swore to protect their country. “These heroes never fear anything and have pledged to preserve the homeland and territorial integrity,” the President wrote on his Facebook account.

LNA unveiled the arrest of the Egyptian terrorist, Ashmawy, on October 8, 2018in a security operation in Derna.

Marshal Haftar met with Major General Abbas Kamel and Ashmawy, who headed a terrorist organization in Derna, was handed over to the Egyptian authorities. Egypt has been supporting the LNA under the leadership of Marshal Haftar.

In February 2015, the Egyptian army launched a concentrated air strike against the terrorist groups in Libya in response to the slaughter of 21 Egyptian citizens there. Egypt announced that the air strike was carried out in full cooperation with LNA.

On November 3, 2016, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri said that Egypt backs the Libyan National Army led by Marshal Haftar to restore stability in the country.

In March 2017, the Secretary of the Egyptian National Security Council, Khaled el-Baqly, said that some members of the Libyan National Army are trained in Egypt.

Earlier this month, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met with Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The President stressed Egypt’s full support to the Libyan army in its war against the terrorist militias to restore security and stability in Libya.

Researcher Sameh Eid, an expert on the affairs of terrorist movements, said that Egypt assisted the Libyan army in terms of intelligence services, and took steps to maintain security on the border with Libya.

“It is a matter of national security for Egypt not to allow the Western Sahara to become a new terrorist hotbed,” Eid told THE REFERENCE.

“This operation has frustrated the terrorist groups and baffled the plans of countries that support terrorism such as Qatar and Turkey, which are involved in financing, supporting and arming the militias in Libya,” he added.