Libya: ministry denies ‘terrorists at air base’ claims

Relations between Libya and Tunisia have become tense, despite longstanding links between the neighbouring states. The source of the tension is the rumour circulated by pro-Haftar media about terrorist infiltration of Tunisia from Libyan territory.

One such media outlet reported that the Tunisian police had confirmed the presence of “terrorist elements at Al-Watiya Air Base” in Libya. The interior ministry in Tripoli is said to have confirmed an attempt by “100 terrorists” to sneak into Tunisia via the base. A document signed by the Interior Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Libya, Khaled Mazen, has been leaked by the newspaper.

As a result, the ministry took emergency measures to step up security and intelligence gathering to thwart any such terrorist attacks. At the same time, though, it has denied the reports about terrorists at the airbase. This has been made clear in correspondence from Mazen, of which Al-Quds Al-Arabi has a copy.

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Al-Watiya Air Base is under the control of the Ministry of Defence, explained the minister, which will never allow any party to launch terrorist attacks from there. “We monitor and follow up terrorist activity in all its forms,” Mazen explained, “and we pursue those involved or those around whom there are suspicions through our anti-terrorist agencies.”

According to the former spokesman for the Tunisian Ministry of Interior on Monday, though, what the Libyan interior minister said about imposing total control over Al-Watiya Air Base and denying the presence of jihadists there is baseless. Khalifa Shaibani claimed that there are more than 150 Daesh militants at the base who want to infiltrate Tunisia. This, he insisted, has been confirmed by the Tunisian security agencies.