ALGIERS
An Algerian Defense Ministry source on Thursday denied reports of the arrest in Libya's Benghazi of high-profile Al-Qaeda operative Mokhtar Belmokhtar by forces loyal to renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar.
The source asserted that Belmokhtar was still at large and that he was moving around different areas of Libya.
He was quoted by Algerian daily Echorouk as saying that the Algerian authorities had information regarding Belmokhtar's presence in Ubari, a Berber-speaking oasis town in southwestern Libya.
"He is there, along with groups of people from the same organization," the source, described by the newspaper as "trustworthy," said.
Late last month, Algerian media reported that Belmokhtar, leader of the Al-Qaeda-linked "Blood Signatories" group, had been arrested in Benghazi by U.S. forces and forces loyal to Libya's Haftar.
Belmokhtar is an Algerian Jihadist leader who has been active in northern Mali.
His "Blood Signatories" group had claimed responsibility for an attack early last year on a petroleum facility in southeastern Algeria.
www.aa.com.tr/en
