Libya arrests 4 abductors of Turkish workers

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI (AA) – Libyan government forces on Saturday arrested four people responsible for kidnapping three Turkish workers in Libya, according to a local official.

"The operation [to arrest the suspects] took place in the desert region near Libya's border with Algeria," Ahmed Hima, a member of Khat municipal council in southwestern Libya, told Anadolu Agency.

He said armed battles erupted between security forces of the UN-backed unity government and the abductors during the operation.

Last week, an armed group seized three Turkish nationals and one German citizen who had been working for ENKA, a Turkish engineering and construction firm, in Ubari region.

Libya has been dogged by violence since 2011, when a bloody uprising led to the overthrow and death of longstanding President Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.

The ensuing power vacuum led to the emergence of several rival seats of government and a plethora of heavily-armed militia groups.