Libyan intelligence chief denies Italy paid ransom to release Italian hostages in Libya

Head of Libya’s intelligence service Mustafa Nouh on Monday denied a media report from Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper earlier on Sunday claiming the Italian government had paid a ransom of 13 million euros to free two Italians abducted by Daesh in Libya.

Nouh described the report as “groundless” in a statement.

“The two hostages were freed as a result of a [security] operation,” he said.

Nouh praised the cooperation between the Italian intelligence and the general intelligence service in Tripoli, stressing that the continuation of this cooperation will have a positive impact on the fight against terrorism in Libya and Europe in general.

Militants affiliated with Daesh abducted four Italians last year near an oil and gas plant outside Libya’s north-western city of Sabratha, located some 50 miles west of Tripoli.

Two of the hostages were later freed by Libyan security forces, while the remaining two were killed by militants.