The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that talks with Libya were in progress Saturday to secure the release of more than twenty Egyptian drivers who were kidnapped by militias in its neighboring country, according to AFP.
The drivers, who were seized in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, are among thousands of Egyptians that travel regularly to Libya for work.
Egypt's Al-Masry Al-Youm published an interview with a Libyan militia chief, Ahmed Al-Libi, who claimed responsibility for capturing the drivers, according to the AFP report. The militia chief said that he was holding fifty men as leverage to free Libyans who had previously been arrested in Egypt. He warned the newspaper that he would kill the Egyptians and continue kidnapping activities if Cairo did not release the Libyans within ten days.
It is not clear how many Libyans are currently detained in Egypt.
Egyptian Ambassador Mohammed Abu Bakr is leading the discussion with Libyan authorities and several local chieftains to secure the drivers' release.
