By Jamie Prentis.
Tunis, 7 December 2017:
The Tripoli-based Rada Special Deterrence Force has arrested six people in various parts of the Warshefana district. It accuses them of murder and kidnapping.
Rada spokesman Ahmed Ben Salem told the Libya Herald it was part of a wider operation that has been ongoing for the last few months to clear the district of criminals.
“Together, with the security bodies, we are trying to make the Warshefana [district] safer. We arrested these men for their roles in kidnapping and murder,” he said.
“We are also stopping people from selling drugs and stealing cars, and have increased security along the highway [from Tripoli] to Wirshefana,” he added.
Rada has its operatives in the district despite the apparent public divide between it and the Wirshefanis, among whom there remains a significant number of Qaddafi-regime sympathisers. Two months ago, a pro-Qaddafi militia leader from Brak Al-Shatti, Mabrouk Ahnish, was arrested by Rada allies in the area along with an Sudanese military commander, Rifqa Al-Sudani, and handed over to Rada. They are still being held at Mitiga. Their capture led to Ahnish’s brother trying to blackmail Rada into freeeing him by cutting off water supplies to the capital and surrounding areas.
The two were reported to have had a force of some 120 Sudanese fighters, allegedly to be used along with Wirshefana allies in a pro-Qaddafi assault on Tripoli.
