The men were in South Africa on student visas for alleged training as security guards. Instead, they are said to have received military training from the powerful Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces, which control the oil-rich eastern parts of unstable Libya.
The police raided the training camp about 30 miles east of Johannesburg on July 26 and arrested all of them. They were deported about a month later.
According to sources for local media in South Africa, some of the men were former IS sympathizers who were paid to join Haftar's forces. They are said to have been trained in marksmanship, parachuting, and sea survival.
Through webcams, a high-ranking general in Libya monitored the training to ensure it was strict enough. He is also said to have ordered punishments to "discipline" the men.
South African authorities have not wanted to comment on the matter. The owners of the camp where the training took place are said to be under investigation.
Khalifa Haftar is fighting against the UN-backed government in Tripoli. Haftar has close relations with Russia and has received support from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in the Libyan power struggle.
