Twenty-seven Egyptian workers were abducted by militants at Brega City on Saturday, and the Libyan army has been deployed to bring about their release, said a spokesperson for the Libyan Interim Cabinet.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has not yet confirmed information about the kidnapping, ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said.
Eyewitnesses cited in the Libyan media reported that workers were intercepted on their way to the Libyan-Egyptian border.
Africa Libyan news portal said the victims were coming from Msallata on board three mini-buses on Saturday evening when they were stopped in Brega by three cars full of militants.
The captives were taken to an unknown destination, said the portal.
Libya has been torn by conflict between various militias since the ouster of late leader Muammar Qadhafi in 2011. In the years since, dozens of Egyptians have been either briefly kidnapped or killed. The foreign ministry occasionally warns against travel to restive areas in Libya.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
