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Libyan OPEC representative freed after abduction by gunmen

Xinhua, February 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Libya's state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC) Executive Samir Kamal has been released after being abducted by unknown gunmen, a NOC official confirmed on Monday.

Kamal, also a representative for Libya at OPEC, was abducted by masked gunmen as he was leaving his office in Tripoli on Jan. 15. The NOC at first reported he was missing but later admitted he was kidnapped by an armed gang.

On Jan. 22, dozens of Libyan oil workers mounted a protest in the capital city, demanding the release of Kamal.

A family member of Kamal on Monday also confirmed to the local newspaper Libya Herald that Kamal has been freed and is in good condition.

The initiatives behind the incident is still unclear. Some analysts said that it might be related to a power struggle within Libya's oil sector.

Libya, a major oil-producer in OPEC, has been plagued by armed clashes, kidnappings and assassinations since the 2011 downfall of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Endit