Egypt’s state TV: 23 Egyptian workers kidnapped in Libya freed

Egypt’s state television reported Friday that 23 Egyptian workers kidnapped in Libya have been freed and returned to their country.

The workers, who had been taken hostage 10 days earlier, were freed by “Libyan special forces in coordination with the Egyptian general intelligence service,” the state TV said.

The group had been taken hostage near the oil town of Brega.

In an interview at a border crossing between Egypt and Libya, one of the released hostages said they had been kidnapped by people demanding ransom.

The state TV aired footage of the workers arriving at the border crossing. They waved Egyptian flags.

Egypt’s government has warned citizens seeking employment not to travel to Libya, which has been gripped by unrest over the past few years. However, thousands of Egyptians choose the war-torn country for jobs.

SS