Fifteen Egyptians believed to have been kidnapped by Islamic State affiliates in Libya will be released on Wednesday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has said.
Ministry spokesperson Hesham al-Naqib quoted Egypt’s ambassador to Tripoli as informing that one captive was released by Libyan authorities on Tuesday, with the rest scheduled for release on Wednesday.
Rami Magdi, a lawyer from the kidnapped Egyptians' city of Mahalla in Gharbiya governate, has said he informed the foreign ministry of the incident. He told reporters that the militant group kidnapped the Egyptian nationals on their way home from work in Tripoli, before holding them captive in a mountainous area.
Libya has been torn by conflict between various militias since the ouster of late leader Muammar Qadhafi in 2011. In the years since, dozens of Egyptians have been either briefly kidnapped or killed. The foreign ministry occasionally warns against travel to restive areas in Libya.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
