Militants Kidnap Egyptian Minor in Libya: MENA

A 15-year-old Egyptian, Menna Mohamed, has been kidnapped by an unknown armed group in Libya’s Benghazi, reported state-owned news agency MENA Saturday.

A Benghazi-based security source told MENA that authorities are conducting investigations in order to find and apprehend the those responsible.

Libya is a major destination for Egyptians seeking work abroad. According to a 2010 report by the International Organisation for Migration, some 1.5 million Egyptians were working in Libya at the time.

However, the number of Egyptian expats in the country fell sharply after the NATO-backed Libyan uprising in 2011/12, which saw the ouster and death of long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

In February, seven Egyptian Coptic Christians were found shot dead on a beach outside Benghazi after they were abducted from their apartments the previous day.

In January, Libyan militants took seven Egyptian diplomats hostage in Tripoli in response to the arrest of a Libyan militia figure by Egyptian authorities. The diplomatic were released several days later.

Source: MENA & Ahram Online