[WATCH] Maltese man kidnapped in Libya released by Islamist militia

Video of man posted on Rada militia's Facebook page

Noel Scicluna gives the thumbs-up in a photo released by the Rada militia on their Facebook page
Noel Scicluna gives the thumbs-up in a photo released by the Rada militia on their Facebook page
Captive Noel Scicluna freed by Libyan militia

A Maltese man abducted in Libya has been freed from his captors by a militia near Tripoli.

Noel Sciberras, the director of CT Parks, a company which administers car parks, was abducted by a gang in Tajoura.

He was released by the Rada militia in an operation conducted on Wednesday 28 October.

In a video released by the Rada militia's Facebook page, he is heard thanking those who secured his release.

He had been kidnapped in Libya for over 46 days.

The foreign ministry thanked the efforts of civil servant Marisa Farrugia, whom it credited with the diplomatic efforts necessary to secure the release, as well as as the Maltese Security Service.

Unverified claims by the Rada militia on Facebook reported that a ransom of €5 million had been asked for his release by his captors.

"By God Almighty, we managed to arrest a gang of captors that had abducted and was guarding the kidnapped Maltese director of the CT Park company LIbya JV," the militia said on Facebook. "They demanded the amount of €5 million for his release."

The Rada "Deterrent" Force was responsible for the control of Mitiga Airport, the only operational airport in Tripoli after Tripoli International Airport was heavily damaged and rendered inoperable in fighting between Zintani militias and Libya forces in 2014.

The militia is a powerful Tripoli-based militia led by hardline Islamist Abdul Raouf Kara — which also maintains a base there and runs the airport prison. The group has carried out frequent incursions against Islamic State forces in Libya, and is affiliated to the Libya Dawn (Fajr Libya) government in Tripoli.

The Rada militia specialise in arresting criminals who deal in alcohol and drugs but others accuse them of having an extreme Islamist agenda.

The KDM Group owns the company that employed Sciberras. CT Park Libya JV operated Oyia Car Park and Oyia Beach Park in Tripoli since 2010.