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Italians kidnapped in Libya near Eni complex in western city of

The workers were kidnapped near a complex of Italian oil and gas giant Eni in western Libya.

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The ministry said a crisis unit is “in constant contact with the families and the company Bonatti” which employs the four.

Mr Gentiloni added that the four men were employees of Bonatti, an Italian construction company that specialises in hard conditions in remote locations.

The foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni told Italian media on the sidelines of a meeting of European Union foreign ministers that it was hard to speculate about who was responsible for the abduction at this stage.

Earlier this year, Italy closed its embassy in Libya and urged all Italian citizens to leave the country. Many Italians work in oil, gas and construction sectors in Libya, which was an Italian colony for much of the first half of the 1900s. Foreign governments have struggled to keep their nationals safe in Libya, which has descended into civil war since the ouster of 40-year ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

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While Isis has not claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, the group has increasingly targeted oil workers.

Sheikh & Qaraoun