Cairo Verifying Reports on Abduction of Egyptians in Libya

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Friday it was investigating media reports on the abduction of a group of Egyptian citizens in Libya.

CAIRO (Sputnik) – On Thursday, Arab media reported that 21 Egyptians, all from Egypt's central province of Minya, were kidnapped or detained in Libya.

Egypt's ambassador to Libya Mohamed Abu Bakr is trying to verify the reports through diplomatic channels, a ministerial statement, obtained by RIA Novosti, said.

The foreign ministry's spokesman, Ahmed Abu Zeid, called in the statement on the families of the reportedly abducted citizens to remain calm when handling with the news reports until their authenticity was proved.

In February, the Daesh (Islamic State, banned in Russia) jihadist group executed 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians. In response, Egypt conducted airstrikes on Daesh positions in Libya.

Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. An internationally recognized government is fighting rival authorities and various militias. Over the past year, Libya has suffered from Daesh attempts to make advances in the country.