Sources from inside the Government of National Unity said the US citizens who were accused of carrying out Christianization mission (the missionaries) had left Mitiga Airport in Tripoli on a private plane on their way back to the United States via Malta.

The sources confirmed to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper what was published by local media about the departure of four Americans after their release earlier on Friday evening, and said that the operation was carried out at the request of the government in coordination with US authorities.

No official statement has yet been issued by the Internal Security Agency on the departure news. However, an official source in the agency confirmed that the Americans were being held on charges related to Libyan national security, indicating that the arrested were referred to the Public Prosecution, adding that they then received no information as the role of any security agency would end upon referral of the cases to the Public Prosecution.

The Libyan Attorney General, Al-Siddiq Al-Sour, did not announce any decision regarding this case, while the US embassy in Libya did not comment on these developments.

The Libyan Interior Security Agency published a confession video for what it described as a US citizen, who said he worked as an assistant teacher of English for the head of a a language institute in Tripoli. The agency said the man and his wife were a part of a team for a US Christianization Organization. It also detained several others in the same group, including foreigners and Libyans. 

Earlier last week, the US State Department spokesman Ned Price said they were aware of the news about the detention of a citizen in Tripoli and the safety of their citizens abroad was their priority.