Kidnapped embassy staff probably killed in U.S. airstrike in Libya: Serbian FM

Two employees of the Serbian embassy kidnapped last November in Libya were most probably killed during the U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic State, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference, Dacic said the ministry received photos that confirmed their identity with high level of certainty, although victims were not officially identified and Serbia is waiting for an official confirmation by Libyan authorities.

Sladjana Stankovic and Jovica Stepic were kidnapped while traveling to Tunisia on Nov. 8, 2015 and were taken away near the town of Sabratha, located some 80 km west of the capital city of Tripoli by unknown gunmen, who negotiated ransom with their families in Serbia.

"Information (that they were killed) has still not been confirmed by Libyan authorities, but we received photos that clearly point out that the information is likely correct," Dacic said, adding that ministry got the information about the event on Friday afternoon.

Families of the kidnapped employees were immediately notified and transport of their bodies and funeral in Serbia will be organized shortly after their identities are confirmed.

Dacic said Serbia was not notified about the U.S. operation and announced that Serbia will ask an explanation from the U.S. and Libyan authorities concerning the information on locations and targets they had prior to the airstrikes.

He explained that the target was an alleged training camp suspected to be a property of the Islamic State, however foreign citizens were also kept there.

He continued that Serbian intelligence forces knew about the location of the building, and that Serbian authorities cooperated and negotiated with local authorities that were waiting for the right time to organize a rescue operation at the camp.

Dacic said that kidnappers had an exclusively financial motive and that two employees would not be killed if it weren't for the airstrikes. Endit