Libyan Prime Minister Kidnapped

SCT

SCT

Security Directors
Armed gunmen have kidnapped Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan and taken him to an undisclosed location, according to a government official.

Zeidan was seized early Thursday from a hotel where he was staying in Tripoli, The Associated Press reported, citing an official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Read More... Libyan prime minister kidnapped - The Firearms Portal
 
Its now being reported that he has been freed by Libyan forces and protesters.

I find it interesting that they describe those who kidnapped him as "ex-rebels". Kidnapping the prime minister sound quite rebellious to me!
 
littlewoman said:
Its now being reported that he has been freed by Libyan forces and protesters.

I find it interesting that they describe those who kidnapped him as "ex-rebels". Kidnapping the prime minister sound quite rebellious to me!
Click to expand...

Yep, that pretty much fits the job description :)
 
SCT said:
Armed gunmen have kidnapped Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan and taken him to an undisclosed location, according to a government official.

Zeidan was seized early Thursday from a hotel where he was staying in Tripoli, The Associated Press reported, citing an official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Read More... Libyan prime minister kidnapped - The Firearms Portal
Click to expand...

Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan has been freed after armed kidnappers abducted him earlier Thursday from a hotel and took him to an undisclosed location in apparent retaliation for a U.S. special forces' raid that seized a Libyan Al Qaeda suspect from the streets of Tripoli.

Government Spokesman Mohammed Kaabar told the news agency LANA that Zidan has been "set free" and was on his way to his office on Thursday. Zidan later appeared on Libyan TV arriving at the office.

He is expected to address the nation later on Thursday to explain what had happened.

A militia commander affiliated with the Interior Ministry told a private Libyan television station that the prime minister was freed when members of a Tripoli-based militia stormed the house where he was held hostage.

Haitham al-Tajouri, commander of the so-called "Reinforcement Force," told Al-Hurrah television that his men exchanged fire with the captors but that Zidan was not hurt.

"He is now safe in a safe place," he said. His account could not be independently verified.
 
This was being reported in-country last night as being a financially motivated incident and not political.

What's interesting is his staying at a hotel due to reported security concerns in the first place; it has certainly resulted in a busy 24hrs for companies employing Westerners in-country.
 
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