On 26 February in the morning, Badr al-Mashat, a militia leader from Janzour wanted by the Attorney General, was arrested by soldiers of the Libyan Army’s West Coast Military District in Ras Ajdir upon returning to Libya from Tunisia. Al-Mashat is a company commander in the Janzour Knights Battalion. He is accused (alongside three others) of attacking the house of Sarah Aswaiyah, a female HoR member from Abu Salim. Furthermore, he is allegedly involved in fuel smuggling and drug trafficking.
A couple of soldiers were tasked to escort him to Tripoli and hand him over to the Attorney General. The Janzour Knights blocked the road in Janzour, just to the west of Tripoli. When the Libyan Army vehicles arrived, shooting started. Two soldiers from the West Coast Military District were wounded. Al-Mashat was taken away by the Janzour Knights. The wounded soldiers belong to a brigade from Misrata, the al-Mahjoub Brigade.
The West Coast Military District strongly condemned the attack as a direct challenge to the rule of law. It said this is a serious threat to security and stability. It issued a three-hour ultimatum for the surrender of those responsible. If they fail to comply, decisive action would be taken to enforce the authority of the state.
Subsequently, the West Coast Military District mobilized several hundred troops, mainly from the 52nd Infantry Brigade from Zawiyya, with some armoured vehicles and deployed them to Janzour. They surrounded the HQ of the Janzour Knights.
In the evening, Badr al-Mashat and seven other wanted persons surrendered without fighting before the deadline was reached. The 52nd Infantry Brigade took over control of the Janzour Knights HQ, another base and two checkpoints in Janzour. The suspects were subsequently transported to Tripoli and handed over to the Attorney General a few hours after they were arrested.
On 27 February, the Attorney General said that the Investigation Branch has launched a prosecution case against seven defendants who blocked a public road and endangered public security in Janzour municipality. An investigation by the prosecutor found that the incident, in which two people were injured by gunshots, was caused by an attack where the defendants used firearms. They aimed to force the release of an arrested individual. As a result, the seven defendants were detained pending investigation, and prosecution procedures were initiated. The detainee sought by the defendants was also interrogated and remanded in custody