The Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, said on Thursday it released a Turkish-owned vessel seized last week.
LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari announced the Jamaica-flagged cargo vessel, Mabouka, was let go after local authorities questioned its crew and had them pay a fine for violations of sailing rules in Libyan waters.
He did not mention the amount of the fine.
The seizure of the Turkish ship threatened to escalate tensions in the conflict-stricken North African country, since Turkey is the main supporter of the LNA’s rivals, the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry had warned about “dire consequences” and called on Haftar and his forces to allow the ship to resume its planned voyage.
The vessel was stopped on Saturday after it had tapped into Libyan waters without a prior permission sailing into a “no-sail” zone in Libyan waters, Mismari wrote on his official Facebook page.
He had said earlier that the crew included nine Turkish sailors, seven from India and one from Azerbaijan, and that it did not respond to calls from the naval forces.
In October, the warring sides agreed to a UN-brokered ceasefire, a deal that envisioned the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within three months.
The LNA stopped the Mabrouka on Monday off the eastern port town of Derna.
