Four engineers, including one from Romania, were kidnapped by armed men near the El Sharara oilfield in Western Libya.

Two of the engineers were released afterwards while the other two remained in captivity, according to sources quoted by Libyan Express, local Mediafax reported.

The Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry has activated a crisis cell to check if the Romanian engineer was released or is still captive. However, minister Teodor Melescanu said the procedure can take long. He also reminded that Romania has issued warnings against trips to Libya since 2015, advising Romanians living in the country to leave the area due to the major security risks.

Romanian engineers have been involved in developing the Libyan oil industry ever since the 1980s when Rompetrol discovered and developed the El Sharara oilfield in the Murzuk Desert.

editor@romania-insider.com