Egyptian hostages released in Libya

The Egyptian Embassy in Libya on Sunday secured the release of dozens of Egyptian hostages being held in the north-eastern Libyan city of Ajdabiya, Ahram Gate reported. 

Egyptian Ambassador to Libya Mohamad Abu Bakr told state-run Middle East News Agency that the detainees were safely returning to Egypt.

Libyan militants kidnapped 20 Egyptian drivers on Thursday last week in Ajdabiya, a town in north-eastern Libya, according to the state-run news agency. The militants reportedly did this in response to Egyptian security forces arresting their relatives on charges of arms smuggling.

Privately-owned Egyptian newspaper Al Shorouk reported that the kidnappings continued, and that after the kidnapping of 20 more Egyptians near Ajdabiya on Friday, between 50 and 70 Egyptians were being held hostage in total.

Earlier on Sunday, a closed meeting was held to try to negotiate the release of the driver, MENA reported. The meeting included officials from the National Security Directorate in Ajdabiya, the local council, and a number of Libyan civil society organizations  

Abu Bakar had said that Egypt was making intensive efforts to free the Egyptians, and expected their immanent release due to the work of high-level Libyan mediators.

The chief kidnapper, who did not give his name, told Egynews yesterday that the detainees would be released within 48 hours. He said that they will take care of the hostages and help them get back to Egypt.

"The detention of Egyptian drivers does not carry any political dimension and we are ready to release all of them when the Egyptian government intervenes to release the Libyan prisoners in Egyptian prisons,” the kidnapper added.