By Libya Herald reporter.
Misrata, 23 September 2015:
The family of the head of the Central Libya Shield unit currently based in Tripoli, . . .[restrict]Colonel Hassan Shaka, has denied reports that a family member has been kidnapped in Tripoli.
Rumours have been circulating that Hussein Misrati, said to be a member of the one of the units in Central Shield and the nephew of Shaka, was seized in the city two days ago. The reports also claim that forces loyal to former deputy defence minister Khaled Sharif were being blamed and that Central Shield had given them until tomorrow to release him.
The rumours led to concerns that there might be clashes in Tripoli as a result.
A member of the family in Misrata, however, today told the Libya Herald that all family members were safe.
Relations between Sharif and other political hardliners on the one side and the Misratans on the other have gone downhill in recent weeks as a result of Misrata’s support for the UN-brokered Libya Dialogue, which the hardliners oppose. At the beginning of this week, Misrata pulled out its remaining forces out of the area west of Tripoli. [/restrict]