By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 15 May 2015:
The government has condemned as barbaric the beheading of two young men seized by IS . . .[restrict]militants during an attack early yesterday on the town of Harawa.
It is believed that the terrorists infiltrated the town at dawn. At least one of them was killed and one more injured, before they were beaten off by heavy defensive fire. Three locals were injured, one of them reportedly seriously. However in the confusion, two men from the town were captured.
The terrorists returned with their prisoners to their base in Nufaliya, some 70 kilometres away, where they executed them. The victims heads were then paraded around the town, according to Middle East Eye, in front of women and children.
The dead men are believed to be members of the Awlad Suleiman tribe which dominates the town. Two months ago, a leading IS commander who was also linked to Ansar Al-Sharia, the Tunisian Ahmed Rouissi, was killed in fighting near Harawa. It is being said that the terrorists swore that they would avenge Rouissi’s death.
Two weeks later Misratan forces abandoned their attack on the eastern oil terminals and withdrew from Sidra to regroup around Sirte. This left Harawa, which is roughly equidistant between the terrorist strongholds of Sirte and Nufaliya, dangerously exposed.
Local elders have reportedly been appealing for protection both to the government in Beida and Libya Dawn in Tripoli and have called for reinforcements from fellow members of Awlad Suleiman tribe in the south of the country.
The two men were buried this afternoon in the local cemetery. All the men of the town, and further afield, turned out for the funeral.
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