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By Ajnadin Mustafa.
Tripoli, 17 August 2016:
Zintani forces allied to the Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa Hafter are reported to have captured a top Tunisian member of the so-called Islamic State (IS).
Moez Ben Abdulgader Ben Ahmed Al-Fezzani was apparently arrested with more than 20 other IS supporters some days ago between the west Libyan towns of Rigdaleen and Al-Jmail. having fled Sirte and trying to get to Tunisia.
The news was only released yesterday.
Fezzani, also known as Abu Nassim, was designated Tunisia’s most wanted terrorist in February. In a communiqué at the time, it called on anyone with information about him to report it to the Tunisian police.
He is since said to have been responsible for the IS attempt in March to take over the southern Tunisian town of Ben Guerdane in which 58 people died – 45 militants and 13 members of the security forces.
From Tunis and born in 1969, Fezzani is said to have first joined Tunisia’s Ansar Al-Sharia. He then went to Libya where he was put in charge of the IS reception centre in Sabratha. Following its bombing last February by the US, he headed first to Benghazi then to Sirte where he remained until a few days ago.
According to the Zintanis, he and his colleagues were trying to head back to Tunisia. However his identity was discovered only after his arrest by a patrol. He is being sent to Marj for further investigations.
So far there has been no Tunisian comment on the claimed capture.
