Egyptian killed in Benghazi market shooting

Egypt's Foreign Ministry said gunmen killed another Egyptian citizen in the Libyan city of Benghazi Saturday morning, state-run daily Al-Ahram reported.

Unidentified gunmen attacked a fruit and vegetable market in Benghazi, opening fire on two Egyptian workers as they unloaded goods from a delivery vehicle, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Badr Abdel Aaty.

One Egyptian worker, Gad Abdel Masseih Abdel Malak, was killed in the attack.

Abdel Aaty stressed that the Egyptian embassy is working closely with the Libyan authorities to catch the assailants, after a string of armed attacks which have left several Egyptians dead in recent weeks.

The ministry meanwhile called on Egyptians living in Libya to take care, reasserting a travel warning that advises Egyptians to only visit Libya in urgent cases.

Libyan authorities informed the Egyptian Embassy in Tripoli that the death of three Egyptians and the injury of three others was the result of a car accident that occurred two days ago.

The victims were heading to al-Saloum in Egypt when their microbus crashed into a truck, independent newspaper Al-Shorouk said on Saturday.

Rumors had spread among victims' families in the wake of the accident that the microbus was set ablaze by unknown assailants, the newspaper added.

Ahmed Sabri al-Laymouni, 22, one of the victims that died in the crash, was purportedly kidnapped along with 10 other Egyptians. They were released after the kidnappers stole their money, mobile phones, clothes and passports, Al-Shorouk reported.   

The injured are still receiving medical care in Libya.

Around 1.5 million Egyptians were employed in the oil-rich Libyan state prior to the 2011 uprisings in the region.

The number of Egyptians working in Libya is reported to have significantly decreased since the country's February 17 uprising, which began in Benghazi, and ultimately toppled long-time president, Muammar Qadhafi.