Mediterranean states in anti-terrorism drills after Tripoli airport siege

The air forces of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and Malta are participating in an exercise being conducted by US naval forces stationed in the Mediterranean and Italy, in a reaction to security concerns prompted by the Tripoli airport siege.

The reports have not been denied by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Libya has been excluded from the security drill operations, carried out by the 5 + 5 nations of the Mediterranean, due to the deteriorating security situation inside the North African country.

MORE on MaltaToday Mediterranean countries plan joint military drills over Libya unrest

The Tripoli airport siege in which rebel militias bombed several aircraft led to the disappearance of several commercial planes, prompting fears of 9/11 style attacks in the Mediterranean.

Countries on both shores are worried about how the missing aircraft might be used by terrorists.

Eleven civilian airliners were hijacked during the fighting. The 5+5 member states will now introduce simulations of intercepting civilian or military aircraft piloted by terrorists, in the joint military training.

The reports have now been reported in Turkish agency Anatolia, and Zawya.com, a member of the Thomson Reuters group.

An original claim was made by an unnamed Algerian military source to Istanbul media house World Bullettin, which focuses on Muslim nations and politics.

According to the source, the drills would be conducted in coordination with the United States navy in the Mediterranean. “They will mimic the use of civilian or military planes in carrying out attacks.”

Analyst Yakoub Mustafa said terrorist elements were now “present in abundance in Libya”, having got hold of sophisticated weapons by buying them from “smugglers, professional armed militias or even ordinary citizens,” he told Magharebia.

“This volatile situation requires security partnerships among multiple countries, he added.

Libya’s neighbouring countries are on high alert, as fighting intensifies between rebels who have seized light military and training planes that belonged to the Libyan army.
The Moroccan army is reported to have put its artillery and rocket batteries on alert to counter any potential threats in this regard.

Moroccan media said the preparations came hard on the heels of warnings made by western intelligence agencies of the potential targeting of Moroccan cities by militant groups in the region.