Two abducted Bangladeshis freed in Libya

Junior foreign minister says no militant group has taken responsibility for abductions

DHAKA: Two Bangladeshi workers abducted in Libya by suspected Islamic State militants have been freed after more than two weeks, Dhaka said Wednesday.

They were among a group of nine people including four Filipinos and an Austrian reportedly taken hostage in southern Libya this month in an attack blamed on the militant group.

The two Bangladeshis were released on Tuesday and were in good health, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

They spent the night at a local hospital and were due travel to Tripoli on Wednesday.

At least eight guards were killed in the attack on the al-Ghani oilfield in southern Libya on March 7.

Bangladesh initially blamed the Islamic State group for the abduction, but a junior foreign minister later said no militant group had claimed responsibility.

An estimated 30,000 Bangladeshis are believed to be working in Libya.

The country has been awash with weapons since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi, and opposing militias have since been battling to control its cities and oil wealth.

There are two rival governments and parliaments - those recognised by the international community sitting in the Far East and the others in the capital backed by Fajr Libya.