Thirteen Egyptians have been reportedly kidnapped in Libya, a foreign ministry source told Aswat Masryia on Saturday. Militants kidnapped the 13 Egyptians in Libya's city of Sirte. A Libyan military source had announced that extremist militants stormed a residential complex early Saturday in Sirte city taking 13 Coptic Christian Egyptians to an unknown location. Another seven Egyptians were kidnapped in the same Libyan city last week. Last week, Egypt's foreign ministry spokesperson Badr Abdel-Atti had said that the Libyan government has commissioned Libyan "independent figures" to communicate with the kidnappers of the seven Coptic Christian Egyptians. A foreign ministry source confirmed to Aswat Masryia that Egypt's ambassador in Libya is currently in talks with Libyan tribal leaders and independent figures to mediate the release of the kidnapped Egyptians. Several Coptic Christian Egyptians have been killed in Libya in recent years. In February, the bodies of seven Copts shot dead were found near the city of Benghazi. Egypt renewed its warning last month to citizens living in Libya. Last August, the foreign ministry also cautioned Egyptians against travelling to Libya and advised expatriates there to avoid clashes. Tens of thousands of Egyptians work in Libya, a key destination for Egyptian migrant workers, primarily in the construction industry. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/119377.aspx
