Feature: Egyptians released from Libya regain hope in life after death-like experience

"I cannot believe that I'm still alive. I thought my life was coming to an end," said Egyptian laborer Omar Nassar, who was held captive by Libyan militants and has recently been freed and arrived back home in Upper Egypt's Minya province.

Nassar is one of 20 Egyptians who were abducted in the Libyan city of al-Jufrah, 750 km from the capital Tripoli, earlier in January by Libyan militias.

"Sometimes I begged our captors to kill me ... we were tortured heinously," he told Xinhua at his modest home in a small village in Minya's Samallout town.

The 20 were released a couple of days ago after successful negotiations between the Egyptian government and the captors, with cooperation from the Libyan army.

The freed laborers, mostly from Saqiet Daqouf poor village, were received upon arrival by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi at Cairo International Airport Wednesday.

Egyptians have had horrible experiences in the war-stricken neighboring country. In February last year, the Islamic State (IS) regional militant group beheaded 20 Egyptian Christians and an Ethiopian Christian near the Libyan city of Sirte after holding them in captivity for several weeks.

The 45-year old construction worker sadly recalled the 20 days he spent in captivity in an underground container.

"I haven't seen the sun for 20 days since we were kidnapped. They fed us with one loaf of bread each. They beat us brutally with our hands and legs tied, keeping us under the threat of guns," he told Xinhua as his family members, neighbors and friends gathered at his home to celebrate his release.

The man said that the kidnappers treated them better after the Egyptian authorities started to negotiate their release.

Receiving them at the airport, President Sisi warmly welcomed the released captives and ordered pocket money to be provided for them in order not to return to their homes empty-handed.

"We won't leave any Egyptians in danger in Libya or anywhere else," Sisi told reporters at the airport, noting the release process was in coordination with the Libyan army.

The Egyptian government did not give much information about the negotiations, the release process and the identities and affiliation of the kidnappers.

However, Nassar gave Xinhua more details about the release operation.

"During the release process, leaders of three Libyan tribes handed us over to the Libyan army at Benina airport," he said. "... Then they took us to another airport at Al-Baida province to prepare for sending us back to Egypt."

The man praised the Egyptian authorities for his rescue and return to his wife and five kids.

Thousands of Egyptians who work in Libya have returned home with the help of the Egyptian government after the IS beheaded the Egyptian Copts last year.

Returnees say that many militias, including the IS group, target Egyptian expatriates in chaotic Libya, which has witnessed a drastic escalation of violence after the 2011 turmoil that toppled and killed former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

"I felt I was born again when I heard about the interference of the Egyptian authorities for our release after I gave up hope in life for 20 long days," said Amir Abdel-Hakim, a young man in his 20s who looked so exhausted, noting he had to travel to Libya as his eight brothers did to make some money to get married.

"Once a captor hit my head with the back of his gun until I lost consciousness," he narrated.

Despite the Egyptian government's travel warnings, the lawless Arab country is an ideal destination for thousands of Egyptian workers, many of whom are hired in the construction sector.

"At the night of kidnapping, I was surprised by a group of armed masked men driving some vehicles. They dragged us to the vehicles blindfolded and took us an unknown spot," said 30-year-old Gamal Abdel-Basset, recalling the night he and his colleagues were kidnapped.

"They showed us real torture," the pale-faced man told Xinhua at his small two-room apartment in Saqiet Daqouf village, while sitting with his two little children.

Families, friends and neighbors of the kidnapped laborers have been overjoyed by the news of their release that added smiles on the faces of villagers after long sad days.

"Since we heard of Gamal's kidnapping, the family could hardly enjoy sleep or peace of mind. His mother was too grieved that she got sick and was confined to bed," Gamal's father told Xinhua, "but the sadness turned into joy after we heard the news of his release."

On their arrival back home in Minya, Governor Tarek Nasr received the returnees and told them that the country would not forsake its citizens anywhere in the world.

Although they were not kidnapped by the IS terrorists, the governor advised all citizens to avoid travelling to turmoil-stricken Libya, promising to provide job opportunities for the returnees. Endit