Between 12 and 16 Egyptian citizens have been killed in clashes with human traffickers in the Libyan town of Bani Walid, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday. Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement that the Egyptian “illegal immigrants” had been killed by members of a trafficking ring whose identities are still unknown. Egyptian authorities are communicating with their Libyan counterparts to determine the circumstances of the incident and repatriate the bodies to Egypt. Speaking to Reuters, a local Libyan official said a fight erupted between the Egyptians and Libyans due to a money dispute. According to the source, a group of Egyptians had killed a number of traffickers and had then driven away with their bodies. They were later arrested at a security checkpoint and taken to a police station, where another smuggler from the same smuggling ring open fire on them for revenge. The United Nations said on Wednesday that three Libyan and 12 Egyptian nationals were killed on 26 and 27 April. “I strongly deplore these terrible killings and call on those with authority on the ground in Bani Walid to ensure that the incidents are…
At Least 12 Egyptian Migrants Killed by Human Traffickers in Libya
April 28, 2016
