Cairo: A group of Egyptian workers, who had earlier appeared in a video being humiliated by a militia in neighbouring Libya, returned early Thursday to their home country after vociferous condemnations and threats of response from Cairo.
State media showed footage of the 23 workers, wrapped in the Egyptian flag, as they were welcomed by Egyptian officials at Egypt's Al Salum border crossing with Libya.
They were scheduled to be later Thursday transported to their hometown Beni Sueif, south of Cairo.
Some returnees expressed happiness about their home return after the release of the viral video that triggered public and official anger in Egypt.
"We thank all agencies that helped in our swift liberation from armed groups and brought us back from Libya," a returning worker said in televised remarks. "We were frightened and expected to die at the hands of the militias," he added, referring to Libyan captors.
Egyptian media said that President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi had directed all state institutions to ensure the "liberation" of the group after they had appeared in the humiliation video reportedly shot in the Libyan city of Tarhuna, south-east of the capital Tripoli.
The abusers are believed to be linked to the Tripoli-based government that said Wednesday it had arrested the wrongdoers.
Egypt, which has a large labour community in Libya, announced earlier this month a peace plan to end a years-long conflict in its western neighbour.
