Seven members of the UN mission in Libya - five men and two women - were released after being captured by militants, reports Elaph. According to a source in the special services, they are all safe and sound. As the newspaper notes, the victims - the natives of Libya, Malaysia, Romania, Egypt and Palestine. The Islamists abducted them to exchange for their associates detained earlier in Tripoli. Negotiations did not take place - the prisoners were persuaded to release elders of local tribes. Earlier it was reported that hostages were captured in the city of Ez-Zavia. Originally it was about six. Extremists stopped the car in which the UN staff were, transplanted them into their cars and took them to an unknown destination. Other circumstances of the incident are not reported. It is known that the group that took hostages does not submit to the central authorities of the country. After the overthrow and murder of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country began a civil war, a single power was in fact lost. Part of the territory was captured by radical Islamists, until recently the hometown of Gaddafi Sirte controlled the terrorist group "Islamic State" banned in Russia. Until February 2016, Libya had two governments: democratically elected and recognized by the world community - in Tobruk, and Islamist - in Tripoli. December 17, 2015, with the mediation of the UN, the parties signed an agreement on the creation of a government of national unity. Its composition was announced on February 15, 2016.

Original article: Abducted by Islamists, the UN mission in Libya released.