By Moutaz Ali.
Tripoli, 20 November 2016:
Two of three senior defence ministry staff abducted six days ago in Tripoli are reported to have been released tonight.
Gunmen grabbed the three officials on Tuesday at the Asshajara Hotel in Dahra where they had been staying. However the ministry only confirmed the crime yesterday and gave three names, though some reports suggested that seven men had been seized.
It described as “irresponsible” the kidnapping of Ali Al-Aghuri, Dawoud Al-Amrooni and Fadlallah Haroun Shuaibi. It is understood that Shuaibi has still not been released.
It is unclear what positions the men held in the ministry. There has been no official comment on who might have seized them nor why.
The attack has prompted the defence ministry to warn that all government departments should improve the security of their senior people. The ministry also launched a fierce attack on local media for circulating false information about the kidnappings, which it said endangered the country.