Libya frees 21 migrants kidnapped for ransom

20/2/2025 6:14

The security department of the southeastern Libyan city of Kufra announced on Wednesday the rescue of 21 migrants of different African nationalities who were kidnapped by criminals for ransom in the southeastern area of Rebiana.

"The Kufra Security Directorate managed to free 21 individuals of African nationalities held hostage in the Rebiana area by a criminal group that demanded a ransom in exchange for their release," the Kufra Security Directorate said in a statement published on its official Facebook page.

"The released individuals were transferred to the Kufra Security Directorate for necessary legal procedures, while investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators and take legal action against them," the statement said.

On Feb. 9, the security services of Kufra freed 76 migrants detained by a criminal gang, and recovered 28 bodies of migrants buried near the detention site.

The Libyan Health Ministry's Emergency Department on Tuesday announced the recovery of 64 bodies of migrants buried around Kufra over the past few days.

On Feb. 16, the Jufra district police announced arresting a group of migrant smugglers in the town of Zillah, located some 750 km southeast of the capital Tripoli.

The arrestees are accused of killing migrants and burying the bodies in the desert, torturing migrants through starvation and rape, kidnapping migrants for ransom up to 10,000 U.S. dollars per head, as well as selling and buying migrants, the police said in a statement, without specifying the number of the detained smugglers.

Because of the insecurity and chaos in the country since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean to Europe from Libya.