Libya's LNA announces release of Turkey ship

12 Dec 2020; MEMO:  The spokesman for the General Command of the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) Major General Ahmed Al-Mesmari announced the release of a Turkish ship on Thursday, after its seizure five days earlier for its presence off the coast of the Ras Al-Hilal area in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar.

Al-Mesmari revealed via his Facebook page that the LNA released: "The Mabrouka ship, flying the Jamaican flag, after inspecting it and investigating its crew."

He added that the release of the Turkish vessel came after it had paid a fine for sailing in the Libyan territorial waters without first obtaining permission from the Libyan authorities, as well as entering a restricted area.

On Tuesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the detention of the cargo ship Mabrouka, demanding its immediate release to resume its planned trip, according to a statement.

Al-Mesmari indicated that the ship's crew consists of nine Turkish crew members, seven Indian nationals, and one Azerbaijani national.