Military contractors posing as private security guards left Malta for Libya for a covert operation that never ended up taking place, a senior government source has said. 

A source involved in monitoring Malta’s compliance with international law said that the covert operation last June is believed to have been commissioned by Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, who sought to use private military firms as part of his efforts to take the Libyan capital of Tripoli. 

Times of Malta reported that Malta-based companies were being scrutinised by authorities on the suspicion of having transported arms and perhaps even private military contractors into Libya during the war, using Malta as a departure point.  

According to the report, six helicopters were also flown in from Botswana using falsified papers. The rest of the military team were from South Africa, Britain, Australia and the United States. 

Times of Malta‘s government source, and another also privy to the details, confirmed that the Maltese authorities had the same information and had been collaborating with international partners on the matter for several months. 

The company had once partnered with infamous former US private militia operator Erik Prince, in a venture that was reportedly set to produce and sell ammunition.