Egyptian border guards intercepted 75 Egyptians who were allegedly attempting to illegally enter Libya from the Sallum border crossing Monday, Youm7 reported.
The Matrouh Security Directorate released a statement that all suspects would be criminally investigated.
Major General Al-Anany Hamouda, Matrouh Directorate chief, stated that the all desert roads by the crossing are highly secured with number of military checkpoints to counter illegal immigration attempts.
On Feb. 15, a video released by a Libyan branch of the Islamic State showed the mass execution by beheading of 20 Egyptians in Libya; photos of the men had been circulated days before of them being forced to march on a beach in orange jumpsuits, which other IS prisoners have been forced to wear before execution. The men, all Coptic Christians, had been kidnapped in early January from Sirte, Libya, where they had traveled to work.
Egypt launched airstrikes in response to the murders, and also encouraged all Egyptians in Libya to return to their country. By early March, more than 27,000 Egyptians had returned through the Sallum land crossing.
Thousands of Egyptians are estimated to remain in Libya, despite its security vacuum; many Egyptians hail from Upper Egypt, and go to Libya in search of work.
“My son left to Libya year and a half ago shortly after his marriage, he even never had the chance to see his first daughter. He left to find a job, along with his cousin, and we never saw them again,” the father of Luke Nagati, who was murdered by the Islamic State group in February, told Youm7.
