We Saved the Prefect, Left the Abductors Running Away, Libyan Official

Vice Head of Transitional Council of the Libyan locality of Derdj, Mohamed Abdellah Benkina, says in this interview with Echorouk reporter that the freed prefect of lllizi was handed over safe and sound to Algerian authorities, adding that the three abductors disappeared in the nature.

 “I’ve been among the delegation that handed over the freed prefect of Illizi to Algerian authorities,” in Deb Deb locality on border between Libya and Algeria, said Mr Mohamed Abdellah Benkina, adding that “Head of Ghdames Transitional Council ordered me to launch a search operation to save the Algerian official, as soon as possible.”

As for the circumstances of the release of the hostage, the Libyan official said: “Well, after a wide combing operation in the area, we managed to localize the abductors 50 km southern Derdj locality near border with Algeria; and then we started negotiating with them in distance after we discovered they were armed with Kalashnikovs, as we called upon them to release the Algerian official, otherwise we would shot them with heavy weapons.”

He further specified that “after a couple of hours of negotiations, the abductors accepted to release the prefect without resistance, and yet we left them returning from where they came from,” adding “We evacuated the tired looking prefect to the hospital to endure medical treatments, before carrying him home.”

The Libyan official denied, however, holding the three abductors, saying “these are mere rumours; all that mattered was to save the prefect; and as revolutionaries of the locality of Derdj we’d say that we owe too much respect to the brotherly Algeria, and all we did is a humanitarian based act.”