Libya Releases Military Official from Gaddafi Regime

A Libyan woman walks past a mural of late former ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi. (AFP)
A Libyan woman walks past a mural of late former ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi. (AFP)
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Libya Releases Military Official from Gaddafi Regime

A Libyan woman walks past a mural of late former ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi. (AFP)
A Libyan woman walks past a mural of late former ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi. (AFP)

The Justice Ministry in the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) announced the release of Mahdi al-Arabi, one of the senior military officials from the regime of late ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi.

The ministry said in a statement Thursday that he was being released for health reasons to allow him to continue to receive medical treatment outside of jail.

It did not disclose further details about his condition.

Under the Gaddafi regime, Arabi headed the training unit in the Defense Ministry. He also served as deputy chief of staff and was later accused of suppressing the peaceful protests in the city of Zawiya during the revolt against Gaddafi.

He was ultimately arrested soon after Gaddafi’s ouster in 2011.

Separately, new footage was released of the capture of fugitive Egyptian terrorist Hisham al-Amshawi by Libyan National Army forces.

The 30-second video showed the fugitive on the ground and surrounded by three fighters, who were trying to dismantle an explosive belt he was wearing.

A disheveled and confused Amshawi was ordered to keep his hands were the forces can see them to prevent him from accessing and detonating the belt.

When approached by Asharq Al-Awsat, the soldier who shot the video refused to comment on the footage because he was barred from speaking to the media.

Ashmawi was caught along with two of his companions earlier this week.



Drone Attack Halts Oil Output at Sarsang Field in Iraqi Kurdistan

An oil field in Dibis area on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq (File Photo: Reuters)
An oil field in Dibis area on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq (File Photo: Reuters)
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Drone Attack Halts Oil Output at Sarsang Field in Iraqi Kurdistan

An oil field in Dibis area on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq (File Photo: Reuters)
An oil field in Dibis area on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq (File Photo: Reuters)

A drone attack halted production at the Sarsang oilfield in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Tuesday only hours before its US operator signed a deal to develop another field.

The Sarsang field is operated by HKN Energy, a privately held US oil and gas company active in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and owned by Hillwood Energy, part of the Hillwood group founded by Ross Perot Jr.

Two hours after the morning attack, HKN Vice President Matthew Zais was in Baghdad with Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani to sign a preliminary agreement to develop the Himreen oilfield in northern Iraq, the oil ministry said, Reuters reported.

The signing ceremony was also attended by US Ambassador Steven Fagin, whose embassy condemned the drone attacks on oil infrastructure in the Kurdistan region and urged the Iraqi government to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.

Washington said such attacks undermine Iraq’s sovereignty and efforts to attract foreign investment.

Production at the Sarsang field was halted as a precautionary measure after an explosion, two engineers told Reuters.

Kurdistan regional authorities confirmed that the blast was from a drone attack.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iraqi Kurdistan security sources said that initial investigations suggested that the drone came from areas under the control of Iran-backed militias.

Heavy plumes of smoke were seen rising from the Sarsang field in the Dohuk region of northern Iraq, said one oil engineer at the field.

Field operator HKN said that the halt to production was to allow firefighters to extinguish the fire, later adding that emergency response teams contained the damage.

There were no casualties, Iraqi Kurdistan's ministry of natural resources and HKN said.

The incident is under investigation and a full assessment of the damage has been initiated, the company said without providing further detail on the cause of the explosion.

On Monday two drones fell on the Khurmala oilfield near Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, damaging the water pipes at the field.