Hesham Ashmawy arrested in Libya
The Egyptian government has called for the extradition of one of its most wanted men, Hisham al-Ashmawy, after he was arrested by eastern Libyan forces on Monday.
Ashmawy is a former Egyptian special forces officer
wanted by Cairo for suspected Islamist militant activities.
The Libyan National Army 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 authorities say Ashmawy heads the Ansar
al-Islam network, which claimed responsibility for a deadly desert ambush
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.
