KIEV (Sputnik) — Earlier on Monday, Al Arabiya reported that several foreign medical employees, including Ukrainian nationals, were kidnapped by the militants in the north Libyan coastal city of Sirte.
"Thanks to the prompt measures taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Embassy in Libya, Ukrainian citizens were released and returned to where they previously stayed in Libya on the same day," the ministry said in a statement.
It went on to say that Libyan authorities were asked to ensure its citizens' safety during their stay in the country.
Meanwhile, the ministry asserts that its mission in Libya maintains regular communication with medical staff on the ground and is attempting to secure their evacuation from Libya.
Following the overthrow of its long-serving leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and the violence that ensued, Libya split into two de-facto governments.
Amid the extensive conflict in Libya, Islamist elements affiliated with ISIL have been recently extending their presence in the North African nation.
