Libyan journalist Ali Ohaida said that Turkey will organize “a tourist visit” for the Interior Minister of the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) to al-Watiya Air Base west of Tripoli.
“Turkey will organize a tourist visit under militias protection for the foolish Libyan minister,” Ohaida tweeted, after a former official of the Tunisian Interior Ministry challenged the Libyan Interior Minister, Khaled Mazin, to inspect al-Watia air base.
The former official spokesman for the Tunisian Interior Ministry, and former Brigadier General of the Tunisian National Guard, Khalifa al-Shaibani, confirmed on Monday that what the Libyan Interior Minister had said about complete control of the Al-Watiya Air Base and denying the presence of jihadists there is “baseless.”
“There are more than 150 ISIS militants in the Libyan al-Watiya, who intend to enter Tunisia, and this is confirmed information for the Tunisian security services,” al-Shibani said. “I challenge the Libyan Interior Minister, who says al-Watiya base is under control, I challenge him to go beyond the perimeter of his ministry.”
In a letter addressed to the Head of the Arab and International Criminal Police Office, the Libyan Interior Minister denied the presence of 100 terrorist elements at al-Watiya preparing to enter Tunisia, “after carrying out the necessary investigations by the security services.”