India sends CRPF Commandos to Guard Embassy in Libya amid Security concerns

New Delhi, Jul 27: Commandos drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will soon be sent to provide an armed security cover to the re-opened Indian embassy in Libya and its diplomatic staff.
Speaking at an event held here to mark the 87th Raising Day of the force, CRPF Director General (DG) Gyanendra Pratap Singh said on Sunday that the personnel are “preparing” to leave for the task at Tripoli, on similar lines of guarding the Indian embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.
The Indian embassy in Libya was re-opened in July last year after about five years of closure due to the deteriorating security situation in the north African country.
The overall law-and-order and security situation has been fragile in Libya since a 2011 uprising that toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi, and the country being divided into eastern and western sections due to factional conflicts for more than a decade.
Officials privy to the development told PTI that the CRPF was guarding the Indian embassy in Libya about four-five years ago but due to the conflict situation, it was closed and affiliated with the Indian embassy in the neighbouring country of Tunisia.
The CRPF commandos were called back and they are being sent to Libya again as the embassy has re-opened. It is located at 45, Al-Shatt Street in Tripoli, they said.
The sources said about 40 commandos led by a deputy commandant (DC)-rank officer will take charge at Tripoli after due clearances are issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The CRPF has a similar commando team that has been securing the Indian embassy in Iraq since 2019.
The Embassy of India in Tunisia said on its website under the head “India Libya Bilateral relations” that “in view of the fragile political and security situation prevailing in Libya in 2014, about 3,800 Indian nationals were repatriated, which included 6 Indians kidnapped by ISIS”.
“The Mission, which was temporarily relocated in D’Jerba (Tunisia), was later moved to Malta. The Mission in Tripoli resumed its operations in 2012, but was closed down in April, 2019 due to worsening security situation,” it added.