Zintan and Mashashiya tribes in western Libya have exchanged prisoners, who were abducted on identity, through a reconciliation committee, head of the Local Council of Mizda Abdul-Hakim Badran confirmed Saturday.

In a press statement, Badran clarified that the reconciliation committee, which consists of tribal elders from the south region, had received the Zintani abductees to return them safe to their families, while Zintan in turn will hand over the abductees from Mashashiya to the same committee after an agreement between the two tribes providing for the release of abductees from both sides.

The tribal tension started when Zintani gunmen arrested a tribesman from Mashashiya at Zintan airport accused of killing a man in Tripoli. Later Mashashiya gunmen abducted seven people from Zintan to demand the release of their tribe member.

In return, Zintani gunmen abducted eleven people from Mashashiya, demanding the release of the seven abductees.

News