Wanted Egyptian jihadist captured in Libya

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

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

A Twitter account run by spokesman Ahmed al-Mosmari publishes 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.

— AP

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