Image copyright Libya National Army Image caption Libya National Army shared a picture of Hisham Ashmawi on Facebook

Security forces in Libya have captured one of Egypt's most wanted jihadists during an operation in the eastern port city of Darnah.

Hisham Ashmawi, a former army officer, is accused of being behind several deadly attacks in Egypt and an attempt against a top state official.

He had a suicide vest strapped on, said the Libyan National Army, which controls much of eastern Libya.

Libya has been unstable since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

His 40-year rule ended when he was ousted and killed by rebels during the so-called Arab Spring protests.

The North African country is now mostly controlled by a UN-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli, and by the rival LNA, under military strongman Khalifa Haftar, whose forces hold sway in much of the eastern part of the country.

The LNA said in June that it had taken control of Darnah from jihadists though it was still facing some sporadic resistance.

"The terrorist Ashmawi was arrested in the Al-Maghar neighbourhood in the city of Darnah and was wearing an explosive vest but was unable to detonate it," the LNA said about the capture.

It said it would hand over the militant to Egyptian authorities after investigations, Reuters news agency reports.

Egypt has close relations with the LNA and has launched air strikes over Darnah, saying it was targeting jihadists linked to militant activity inside Egypt.

Egyptian officials say Ashmawi was behind the attempted assassination of then Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim in May 2013, and the killing of the country's top public prosecutor in a car bomb in 2015.

Ashmawi is the leader of the al-Qaeda-aligned militant group al-Mourabitoun, which he formed after switching his allegiance away from the Islamic State group. He has also been linked with two other groups - Ansar al-Islam and Jund al-Islam.

Ansar al-Islam claimed responsibility for an ambush that killed dozens of Egyptian policemen last year.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Eastern Libyan forces on Monday captured a former Egyptian special forces officer wanted by Cairo for suspected Islamist militant activities, a Libyan military spokesman said.

Hisham al-Ashmawy, one of Egypt’s most wanted men, was apprehended in Derna where eastern Libyan forces are fighting jihadists, said Ahmed Mismari, spokesman of the Libyan National Army (LNA), which controls Libya’s east.

Ashmawy will be probably handed over to neighboring Egypt after Libyan security officials have completed an investigation, he added.

The LNA published a picture of Ashmawy with blood on his face.

Egyptian authorities say Ashmawy heads the Ansar al-Islam network, which claimed responsibility for a deadly desert ambush against Egyptian police last October.

Egyptian officials also accuse the network, which they link to al-Qaeda, of an assassination attempt on a former interior minister in 2013.

Ashmawy’s network has mounted a recruiting campaign among former officers in recent years and is seen as more dangerous than militants operating in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, according to Egyptian intelligence and security sources.</s>The Libyan National Army (LNA) forces captured on Monday an Egyptian terrorist wanted back in his country.



Hisham al-Ashmawy, one of Egypt’s most wanted men, was apprehended in Derna, said LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari.



Ashmawy will be probably handed over to neighboring Egypt after Libyan security officials have completed an investigation, he added.



The LNA published a picture of Ashmawy with blood on his face.



Egypt later confirmed the capture, an Egyptian military source told Reuters.



Egyptian authorities say Ashmawy heads the Ansar al-Islam network, which claimed responsibility for a deadly desert ambush against Egyptian police last October.



Egyptian officials also accuse the network, which they link to al-Qaeda, of an assassination attempt on a former interior minister in 2013.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - East Libyan forces on Monday captured a top suspected Egyptian militant long sought by Cairo on charges of orchestrating a deadly desert ambush on police last year and other high-profile attacks, the Libyan military said.

Hisham al-Ashmawy, a former Egyptian special forces officer, was apprehended in the city of Derna, on the coastal road about 265 km (165 miles) west of Libya's border with Egypt, Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Ahmed Mismari said.

His capture is likely to deal a blow to Islamist militants who have been battling the LNA and carrying out attacks across the border into Egypt.

The LNA is the dominant force in Libya's east. A separate U.N.-backed government rules in the county's west, while multiple armed groups compete for power seven years after autocrat Muammar Gaddafi was toppled.

The LNA published a picture of Ashmawy with blood on his face, being examined before having bandages applied. It also posted a photo appearing to show his Egyptian military identity card.

He was arrested in Derna's Al-Maghar neighbourhood "and was wearing an explosive vest but was unable to detonate it," the LNA said.

It said he would probably be handed over to Egypt after Libyan security officials had completed an investigation.

An Egyptian military source confirmed Ashmawy's capture to Reuters, without giving further details.

Ashmawy has been convicted in absentia to death in Egypt for attacks in Egypt, including a 2014 raid in which 22 Egyptian military border guards were killed near the frontier with Libya.

The LNA declared that it had taken control of Derna in June from jihadists and other opponents, though sporadic fighting has continued.

Egypt has close relations with the LNA, which is led by Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, and has in the past launched air strikes over Derna, saying it was targeting jihadists linked to militant activity inside Egypt.

The LNA said the wife and children of a second senior alleged militant, Mohamed Rifae Soroor, named in Egyptian media as Omar Rifae Soroor, were also apprehended. Egyptian state media reported that Libyan forces killed Soroor in June.

Egyptian authorities say Ashmawy heads the Ansar al-Islam network, which claimed responsibility for an ambush against police in Egypt's Western Desert one year ago.

Egyptian officials also accuse the network, which they link to al-Qaeda, of an assassination attempt on a former interior minister in 2013.

Egyptian security and intelligence sources say the group has mounted a recruiting campaign among former officers in recent years and is seen as more dangerous than militants operating in Egypt's Sinai peninsula.

Derna has a recent history of militancy, and was briefly controlled by Islamic State before the ultra-hardline group was pushed out by local rivals in 2015.

Before moving to Derna, Ashmawy was active with Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, an Egyptian militant group based in North Sinai, but after it pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2014, he joined a different group loyal to al-Qaeda.

Militants launched an insurgency in Sinai after Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Mursi was overthrown in 2013, following protests against his rule.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.</s>CAIRO—Libyan forces captured a former Egyptian army commander wanted for a series of deadly attacks in Egypt, a boost for Cairo as it struggles to put down an Islamist insurgency.

Libyan militias allied with Egypt detained Hisham Ashmawy, a former special-forces officer who defected to join Islamist insurgents, in the eastern Libyan city of Derna.</s>Libyan forces said they captured a prominent militant on Monday who is wanted in neighboring Egypt.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the self-styled Libyan National Army, a militia allied with authorities in the country's east, said Hesham Eshmawi was captured in an "operation" early Monday in the eastern town of Derna, long a stronghold of Islamic militants. It did not say when he was captured.

A Twitter account run by LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mosmari published a mugshot of Eshmawi with a bloodied face. The image matches photos of Eshmawi widely used by Egyptian media. Another photo posted on social media shows him receiving medical aid.

The Libyan National Army is led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter, who is backed by Egypt, but it was not immediately clear whether Eshmawi's capture was a joint operation. Libya is split between rival governments in the east and in the capital, Tripoli, each of which is backed by an array of militias.

There has been no word from Egypt on the militant's capture, which would mark a major victory against Islamic militants waging an insurgency centered in the north of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Eshmawi, a former Egyptian army officer who left active service in 2011, has long been suspected of having fled to Libya and of masterminding attacks in Egypt from there. He is believed to have been behind a 2013 assassination attempt against Egypt's then-Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim and several deadly ambushes of security forces in Egypt's Western Desert, near the Libyan border.

He has been sentenced to death in absentia following his conviction on terror charges.

Egyptian authorities believe Eshmawi, who is in his late 30s, made his way to Syria in 2013, where he briefly joined militants fighting forces loyal to President Bashar Assad. He is also believed to have joined militants in Sinai, who are now led by a local branch of the Islamic State group.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - East Libyan forces on Monday captured a top suspected Egyptian militant long sought by Cairo on charges of orchestrating a deadly desert ambush on police last year and other high-profile attacks, a Libyan military spokesman said.

Hisham al-Ashmawy, a former Egyptian special forces officer, was apprehended in the city of Derna, on the coastal road about 266km (165 miles) west of Libya’s border with Egypt, Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Ahmed Mismari said.

The LNA is the dominant force in Libya’s east. A separate U.N.-backed government rules in the west and multiple armed groups compete for power in the country seven years after autocrat Muammar Gaddafi was toppled by rebels.

The LNA published a picture of Ashmawy with blood on his face, being examined before having bandages applied. It also posted a photo appearing to show his Egyptian military identity card.

“The terrorist Ashmawy was arrested in the Al-Maghar neighborhood in the city of Derna and was wearing an explosive vest but was unable to detonate it,” the LNA said.

It said he would probably be handed over to Egypt after Libyan security officials had completed an investigation.

An Egyptian military source confirmed Ashmawy’s capture to Reuters, without giving further details.

The LNA declared that it had taken control of Derna in June from jihadists and other opponents, though sporadic fighting has continued.

Egypt has close relations with the LNA and has in the past launched air strikes over Derna, saying it was targeting jihadists linked to militant activity inside Egypt.

The LNA said the wife and children of a second senior alleged militant, Mohamed Rifae Soroor, named in Egyptian media as Omar Rifae Soroor, were also apprehended. Egyptian state media reported that Libyan forces killed Soroor in June.

Egyptian authorities say Ashmawy heads the Ansar al-Islam network, which claimed responsibility for an ambush against police in Egypt’s Western Desert one year ago.

Egyptian officials also accuse the network, which they link to al-Qaeda, of an assassination attempt on a former interior minister in 2013.

Egyptian security and intelligence sources say the group has mounted a recruiting campaign among former officers in recent years and is seen as more dangerous than militants operating in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula.

Derna has a recent history of militancy, and was briefly controlled by Islamic State before the ultra-hardline group was pushed out by local rivals in 2015.

Before moving to Derna and switching his allegiance to al Qaeda, Ashmawy was active with Islamic State in the Sinai peninsula, according to Egyptian military sources. Militants launched an insurgency in Sinai after Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Mursi was overthrown in 2013.</s>By The Associated Press

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The self-styled Libyan National Army says its troops have captured a prominent militant wanted in neighboring Egypt. In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Monday, the army said Hesham…

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The self-styled Libyan National Army says its troops have captured a prominent militant wanted in neighboring Egypt.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Monday, the army said Hesham Eshmawi was captured in an “operation” in the eastern town of Derna.

A Twitter account run by spokesman Ahmed al-Mosmari published a mugshot of Eshmawi with a bloodied face. The image matches photos of Eshmawi widely used in the Egyptian media.

Eshmawi, a former Egyptian army officer, has long been suspected of having fled to Libya from where he masterminded attacks in Egypt.

He is believed to have been behind a 2013 assassination attempt against then-Egyptian Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim and several deadly ambushes of security forces in the country’s Western Desert near the Libyan border.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The self-styled Libyan National Army says it captured one of Egypt's most wanted militants Monday in a raid in an eastern Libyan town long known to be a stronghold of radical Islamists.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the LNA, which is allied with authorities in eastern Libya, said Hisham el-Ashmawi was captured in an "operation" in Derna.

A Twitter account run by LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mosmari published a mugshot of el-Ashmawi with a bloodied face. The image matches photos of el-Ashmawi widely used by Egyptian media. Another photo posted on social media shows him receiving medical aid.

A third photo purportedly showed el-Ashmawi's Egyptian army ID, which bore a photo of him in uniform with the rank of major.

The Libyan National Army is led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter, who is backed by Egypt, but it was not immediately clear whether el-Ashmawi's capture was a joint operation. Libya is split between rival governments in the east and in the capital, Tripoli, each of which is backed by an array of militias.

The LNA drove militants out of Derna earlier this year, but pockets of resistance remain in the Mediterranean coastal city. Egypt has in the past launched airstrikes in Derna on the grounds that militants there are linked to attacks in Egypt.

There has been no word from Egypt on the militant's capture, which would mark a major victory against Islamic extremists waging an insurgency that is centered in the north of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is likely to seek his extradition to stand trial.

Later on Monday, the LNA said el-Ashmawi was wearing an explosives belt at the time of his capture, but did not have time to detonate it.

El-Ashmawi is a former Egyptian army officer who served in the special forces before his dismissal in 2011. His dismissal followed a military trial in which he was accused of spreading radical Islamic ideas.

According to Egyptian authorities, he is believed to have been behind a 2013 assassination attempt against Egypt's then-Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim and several deadly ambushes of security forces in Egypt's Western Desert, near the Libyan border.

A military court sentenced him to death last year in absentia following his conviction on terror charges.

Egyptian authorities believe el-Ashmawi, who is 40, made his way to Syria in 2013, where he briefly joined militants fighting forces loyal to President Bashar Assad. He is also believed to have joined the militants in Sinai, who are now led by a local branch of the Islamic State group.

In an audio recording released in 2015 that is believed to be authentic, el-Ashmawi allied himself with the Islamic State group's rival, al-Qaida, led by Egyptian militant Ayman al-Zawahri.

Egyptian military officials at the time said el-Ashmawi was a suspect in the July 11, 2015 bombing outside the Italian Consulate in Cairo, which killed a bystander. He is also named as a suspect in the killing of Egypt's chief prosecutor that year, the first successful assassination since the 1981 killing of President Anwar Sadat. Sadat's assassins were military officers who became militants.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya — The self-styled Libyan National Army says its troops have captured a prominent militant wanted in neighboring Egypt.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Monday, the army said Hesham Eshmawi was captured in an "operation" in the eastern town of Derna.

A Twitter account run by spokesman Ahmed al-Mosmari published a mugshot of Eshmawi with a bloodied face. The image matches photos of Eshmawi widely used in the Egyptian media.

Eshmawi, a former Egyptian army officer, has long been suspected of having fled to Libya from where he masterminded attacks in Egypt.

He is believed to have been behind a 2013 assassination attempt against then-Egyptian Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim and several deadly ambushes of security forces in the country's Western Desert near the Libyan border.
A Libyan National Army operation in Derna results in the capturing of Hesham Ashmawy, one of Egypt's most wanted militants.