(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Libyan authorities have warned Italy that an ISIS fighter is currently in Milan. The fighter, who has connections with an ISIS commander from Tunisia known as Abu Nassim, is said to be located in San Siro, a neighbourhood in the Italian city.
Abu Nassim, who is also known as Moez Ben Abdelkader Fezzani, used to live in Italy in the 1990’s. He first arrived in italy as a construction worker in 1989.
In 1997 Abu Nassim left Italy after he was accused of trying to radicalize locals.
Reports have indicated that after being accused he fled Italy for Afghanistan where he joined Al-Qaeda.
In 2001, Abu Nassim was arrested by US forces who locked him up in the Bagram airbase detention centre for eight years after which he was moved to Italy.
It is unclear why Abu Nassim was taken back to Italy after his detention in Bagram airbase.
In a court case regarding terrorist charges in 2012, an Italian court declared Abu Nassim to be not guilty and he was deported to Tunisia.
An appeal was filed soon after Abu Nassim was deported and he was convicted of terrorism but he had already made his way to join ISIS in Syria.
Abu Nassim is said to have been responsible for the ISIS fighters that were in Sabratha, one of Libya’s coastal cities, since 2014.
Tunisians have also accused Abu Nassim of terrorist charges after the Bardo Museum in Tunisia was attacked and 21 tourists and a policemen were killed by gunmen.
“Act [against terrorism] now, before it’s too late,” said Mariastella Gelmini, the deputy leader of Forza Italia party and former Education Minister, to the Italian government.
“I wonder if it’s time to bring back a more effective anti-terror legislation,” Gelmini said as reported by Aska news on Sunday.
Hosni Hachemi Ben Hassem, an imam at a mosque in Italy who is also Tunisian, will be deported to Tunisia even though allegations of him recruiting for terrorist attacks were dropped.
Since the beginning of last year, Italy has deported nine Muslim clerics as a way of avoiding terrorism in Italy.
Angelino Alfano, the Italian Interior Minister, signed 66 expulsion orders last year and 43 this year.
Libya’s security forces were able to identify the threat in Italy after finding papers left behind by ISIS in Sirte, according to an Italian newspaper.
Italy’s security forces have been put on high alert as speculations that ISIS is smuggling its fighters across the Mediterranean on refugee boats continues to spread.