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By Libya Herald reporters.
Tripoli/Tunis, 26 September 2015:
Saleh Maskhout, named as the man killed in a shootout in Tripoli yesterday is alive . . .[restrict]and well and living in Zuwara, his family say. Speaking to the Libya Herald, his nephew, Rawad Maskhout, also denied that his uncle had ever been involved in people smuggling or been a member of a militia. He worked for a government company and was in Zuwara, he said, and the family had been shocked by reports of his death and allegations of involvement in smuggling. Another relative, Saleh Maskhout’s brother-in-law, also insisted that he was alive and had nothing to do with smuggling, adding he was an importer and had just been in Tunisia.
He said that there had been a confusion about the identity of the man involved in yesterday’s shootout.
Confirming the suggestion, this newspaper has now been separately informed by sources in Zuwara that while the shooting occurred and that the person killed was from Zuwara and a people smuggler, it was not Saleh Maskhout who was shot but a someone with a similar name.
In Tripoli meanwhile, security has significantly increased during the day with numerous streets being closed off ahead of expected protests in Martyrs Square this evening against the killings.
In Rome, foreign and defence ministry officials strongly denied rumours that Italian agents were involved in the Tripoli shooting.
The Libya Herald apologises to Salah Maskhout for linking him to the incident. [/restrict]
