By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 10 January 2016:
Thirty people from the city of Sabratha were kidnapped in nearby Surman on Friday connected . . .[restrict]to the Shershary children kidnapping.
Sabratha Municipality leader, Hussien Al-Dhawadi confirmed today that 30 people from Sabratha were kidnapped on Friday from within Surman in revenge for the arrest of a kidnapping and extortion cell in the western region.
The arrested cell had included members from the three western cities of Sabratha, Surman and Zawiya.
Dhawadi explained that the kidnappers had requested the release of the kidnapping cell in exchange for releasing the 20 newly kidnapped people from Sabratha.
The Municipality leader assured that the authorities from Sabratha and Surman were doing their best to release the kidnapped as soon as possible and without exposing them to any danger.
The news of the 30 kidnapped Sabrathans in Surman comes further to armed authorities yesterday holding siege to a house in Surman where the three Sabratha Shershary kidnapped children are believed to be held.
A standoff has been ongoing all since yesterday with exchange of gunfire at a house believed to belong to the Nimri family in the Nimri estate of the Beach club area of Surman. The operation is a joint action by Sabratha and Surman authorities.
The action comes after one of the alleged organisers of the kidnapping of the three Sabratha Shershary children has revealed in a video confession some of the details of the crime.
The video confession was posted Friday on the Facebook page of the Counter Kidnapping and Extortion Crimes Committee of Saratha Municipality Council.
The arrests came as part of a concerted effort by Sabratha and Surman to counter the numerous cases of kidnappings in the area. [/restrict]
