WASHINGTON: Four members of the US military detained in Libya were released after being taken into custody by the government, US officials said on Friday.
“All four (have been) released,” a US defense official said.
Earlier, the US state department confirmed that the four were being held and US authorities were in touch with the Libyan government over the issue.
Circumstances under which the four were detained remained unclear. But more than two years after the collapse of Muammar Gaddafi’s government, the country remains in turmoil with widespread insecurity.
The New York Times reported that the service members were taken into custody near Roman ruins at Sabratha, a tourist area about an hour’s drive from the capital, Tripoli.
The incident takes on greater significance because of the militant attack in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012, in which US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed. (Agencies)
