Kidnapped Tunisia diplomats released in Libya

TUNIS -- Two Tunisian diplomats who were kidnapped in Libya were released and arrived at the military airport of Laouina in Tunis on Monday morning.

Laaroussi Gontnassi and Mohamed Bechikh, an adviser and an employee at the Tunisian embassy in Tripoli, were released on late Sunday, after kidnapped by unknown Libyan militants.

Gontnassi was kidnapped on April 17 and Bechikh on March 21. The kidnappers demanded the release of Libyan militants who were imprisoned in Tunisia on terrorism charges, in exchange of the two Tunisian hostages.

During a press conference late Sunday, Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mongi Hamdi said that an emergency cell was formed right after the incident to rescue the kidnapped.

Ridha Sfar, Deputy Minister of the Interior, noted that the Tunisian government has been in touch with its Libyan counterpart, and the release operation took place "smoothly and in a civil way. "

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