Serbia’s Foreign Ministry says that two employees of its embassy in Libya have been abducted.
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“The ministry is making utmost efforts to gather information and secure the safe return of our citizens”, the statement said, adding the foreign ministers of Serbia and Libya had discussed the situation.
A Serbian government official in Belgrade, who asked not to be named, said: “It appears it was an ambush, a shooting”.
Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minsiter of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic had talks with Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Imhamid Abdulaziz s concerning the incident.
Libya has been in a state of turmoil since early 2011 after the Arab Spring protests led to a civil war and the overthrow of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. Parts of the the north African country are under the sway of militants, criminal gangs and tribal fighters.
A militia alliance including Islamists overran Tripoli in August 2014, establishing a rival government and parliament that forced the internationally recognised administration to flee to the country’s remote east.
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Belgrade maintains an embassy in Tripoli and Serbian citizens, mostly doctors and other medical staff as well as construction workers, have been working in Libya for decades due to close bilateral relations during Kadhafi’s regime.
