The Tripoli Military Region freed on Tuesday 110 hostages from different nationalities that had been kidnapped by armed gangs in the northwestern Libyan city of Bani Walid.
In a statement, the Tripoli Military Region’s 444 Brigade said it raided on Tuesday 16 hideouts belonging to gangs that are implicated in kidnapping and theft in Bani Walid. It discovered the 110 abductees during the operation.
It added that the criminal gangs had attempted to negotiate with the families of the victims to pay a ransom for their release. It assured them that their loved ones were well and that they will be turned over to the concerned authorities.
A migrant crossing point that leads to the west coast, Bani Walid has become notorious for the kidnapping and trafficking of the asylum-seekers.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of the dangerous trafficking operations taking place in the city.
In March, the same brigade announced that it had freed 120 hostages, mostly Egyptian, who had been held by traffickers.
