By Saber Ayyub.
Tripoli, 29 April, 2015:
The brother of the Mohamed Tantoush, the leader of the Warshefana Shoura Council of Elders, was . . .[restrict]kidnapped today in Tripoli. According to reports, Al-Mabruk Tantush was seized near Janzour by an armed group that had following him while he was driving in his car, accompanied by his wife. She was left in the vehicle when he was grabbed.
Al-Mabrouk is said to have had no political involvement. But it is unlikely to have cut any ice in the current political environment. Probably more important to the abductors was the fact that he and his brother are cousins of Omar Tantoush, who heads the Warshefana military forces.
With the shift in the military balance in the area following the decision by Misratan brigades to pull out, the Warshefana have been making significant territorial gains. Omar Tantoush is on the record as saying that his forces will not enter Tripoli and that their aim is to secure the Warshefana area. However, the Warshefana are known to regard Janzour as part of their territory. [/restrict]
