Sources from east Libya said Khalifa Haftar's forces conducted citywide arrests in Derna, including of former prisoners who were detained when the city was controlled by Haftar and were recently released.

The sources said Tariq bin Ziyad Brigade - under Haftar son's control - was conducting the arrest campaign over the escape of several inmates from the notorious prison of Gernada, located in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar (Green Mountain) area.

Haftar's forces said a couple of days ago that the escapees were linked to ISIS and instructed the city's security apparatuses to be on the lookout for them, while pro-Haftar social media posted the names of photos of the prisoners, describing them as terrorists.

This isn't the first time prisoners escape from the notorious Gernada prison, which was named in international reports as a place of abuse, violations and inhumane treatment.

Gernada and other prisons in eastern Libya are places where thousands of Haftar's opponents are jailed for opposing his military rule since 2014.