Egyptian authorities and the Libyan National Army (LNA) are cooperating to hand over a prominent aide to top terrorist Hisham al-Ashmawy, who was executed by Cairo earlier this year.
Egyptian and Libyan sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the LNA will eventually hand over Egyptian Mohammed Mohammed al-Sayed to Cairo.
The LNA had handed over Ashmawy, an Egyptian, to Cairo after his arrest in Libya last year. He stood trial in Egypt and was sentenced to death and executed after being convicted with terrorism.
Sayed was arrested during fighting between the LNA and Government of National Accord (GNA) forces in western Tripoli, the Libyan capital.
LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said Sayed is being held in the eastern city of Benghazi where he is being interrogated.
Speaking at a press conference, Mismari presented the detainee’s identification card, describing him as a “terrorist who is just as dangerous as Ashmawy.” He said he was involved in terrorist attacks that targeted churches in Egypt.
Two of his brothers are imprisoned in Egypt where they are being held on terror charges, he revealed.
Mismari said Sayed was being monitored in the Ghut Shaal in Tripoli since September.
The spokesman also revealed the arrest of Egyptian ISIS terrorist Abdulmajid Abdulbari, who is wanted by several security agencies.
Egypt did not immediately comment on Mismari’s statements, but Sayed appears to be one Ashmawy’s close aides who had fled Egypt to Libya with him where they joined terrorist groups there.
Days earlier, the LNA declared the killing of whom it described as Ashmawy’s right-hand man. He killed in LNA fighting against terrorist militias in the Ain Zara region near Tripoli.
