Tripoli, 13 April 2013:
The government and the General National Congress held a joint emergency meeting this evening, Saturday on the security situation in southern Libya.
The meeting, under the umbrella of the National Security Council, was attended by the Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and the president of Congress, Mohamed Magarief, as well as Defence Minister Mohamed Barghati, Interior Minister Ashour Shuwail, Chief of Staff Major-General Yousef Mangoush and intelligence chief Salem Hassi. Also at the meeting were the deputy president of Congress, Saleh Al-Makhzoum, and the chairmen of Congress’ national security, defence and interior committees.
The discussions, in Magarief’s offices, followed yesterday’s dawn attack on Sebha’s main police station in which three police officers were killed. It was the second deadly assault on the security forces in Sebha in a fortnight.
According to Makhzoum, the meeting looked at the support needed in Sebha to put an end to the attacks.
The Prime Minister was quoted by the Libyan news agency LANA saying that the government was determined to see its authority fully established in the south. He added that a comprehensive plan would be also drawn up covering all aspects of the region’s reconstruction, development and security as well as the security of the border.
The meeting also discussed security in Libya generally.
Meanwhile, it has been announced by the office of Sebha military governor Ramadan Barasi that the Zawia Martyrs’ Military Battalion based in the town managed last night to find two of the vehicles stolen in the attack on the police headquarters.
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