Serbian embassy staff kidnapped in Libya's Sabratha
Xinhua, November 9, 2015 Adjust font size:
Two Serbian embassy staff were kidnapped on Sunday in Libya's western city of Sabratha, according to a Libyan rights group.
The National Commission for Human Rights confirmed to Xinhua that the two, Sladeana Stankovic and Jovica Stebic, while traveling to Tunisia, were taken away by unknown gunmen in the morning and gunshots were heard.
Sabratha is located some 80 km west of the capital city Tripoli.
The Serbian foreign ministry later in the day also confirmed the abduction and demanded concerned groups to ensure their safety and release them immediately.
The motive behind the kidnapping were not immediately known, but analysts said that foreign envoys have always been easy targets for local militants to exchange for ransom.
Libya has been suffering escalating violence and chaos since the fall and death of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The country is now plagued with robberies, kidnappings and deadly militant clashes.
Most of the foreign embassies were evacuated since a major war broke out between the country's pro-secular militias and Islamist militants in July, 2014. Endit