Complex sentence: In May 2012, Salafists in Tripoli demanded the release of a Sunni Islamist, Shadi Mawlawi, who had been arrested on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization, and said they were ready to fight, if the army tried to clear the blockade by force.
Split into simpler sentences: In May 2012, Salafists in Tripoli demanded the release of a Sunni Islamist, Shadi Mawlawi, who had been arrested on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization. The Salafists claimed that they were ready to fight if the army tried to clear their blockade by force.