Russia Expresses Condolences Over Deaths of Two Serbians in US Airstrike

Russian Foreign Ministry urged the United States and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to carefully choose their targets to prevent civilian casualties.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia expresses condolences with the death of two Serbian diplomats killed in US airstrikes in Libya, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Serbian authorities confirmed that two of its diplomats were among those killed in US airstrikes in the northwestern town of Sabratha 40 miles east of Tripoli.

"We express our deep condolences to the families of Serbian Embassy in Libya employees Sladjana Stankovic and Jovica Stepic, who died in the US aircraft bombing of a site where they were held hostage by Islamic State extremists," the ministry said.

The ministry urged the United States and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to carefully choose their targets to prevent civilian casualties.

Stankovic and Stepic were kidnapped from a convoy of vehicles headed toward Tunisia in November 2015. Serbian Ambassador to Libya Oliver Potezica, who was in the motorcade of two diplomatic cars and a security vehicle, escaped unharmed.

Officials expect the bodies of Stankovic and Stepic to be returned to Belgrade on Monday.