Four Italians working for a construction company have been kidnapped in conflict-torn Libya, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.
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The kidnapping occurred Sunday evening and family members had been informed overnight, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said in Brussels, adding that intelligence agents were working to get more information on the circumstances of the kidnapping. It’s not clear when they were kidnapped.
“At the moment, we are in contact and strictly co-ordinating with the authorities and crisis unit of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.
The ministry noted it had closed its embassy in Libya on February 15 and urged Italians to leave the North African nation because of the dangers to foreigners.
Built by Italian oil groups Eni and Agip in partnership with Libya’s state oil company NOC, Greenstream carries some 10 billion cubic meters of gas a year from Mellitah to Gela and then on into southern Europe.
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After being plunged into chaos following the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has two governments conflicting over power as well as armed groups fighting for control of the country’s oil wealth.
