Cairo official: Armed men seize 70 Egyptians in Libyan capital, Tripoli

CAIRO – An Egyptian official says armed men have seized 70 Egyptians in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Badr Abdel-Atti said on Friday that men in military uniform took the 70 from their homes in Tripoli. Abdel-Atti says the Egyptians were taken to a police facility in Tripoli.

Details were sketchy and it was not known who the armed men were. Libyan authorities did not immediately comment on the incident.

Abdel-Atti says Egypt's foreign minister is contacting his Libyan counterpart to get the Egyptians released.

Since the 2011 civil war, Libya has struggled with a weak central government and unruly militias, most of which stem from rebel groups that ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Six Egyptians, including diplomats, were taken hostage in Tripoli in January but were released days later.