21 Egyptian fishermen abducted in Libya: report

At least 21 Egyptian fishermen were kidnapped in Libya by an “armed militia,” Egypt’s state-owned Ahram Online quoted the head of the fishermen’s syndicate as saying over the weekend.

The daily quoted Ahmed Nassar, the head of the syndicate in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, as urging authorities to quickly step in to secure the return of the fishermen.

The reported abduction comes in the wake of increased concerns that 21 Egyptian Copts kidnapped late last year in the northern Libyan city of Sirte were executed by militants belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The daily said that undated photos appearing in the latest edition of a magazine affiliated to the militant group showed “captive workers handcuffed and wearing orange-colored jumpsuits often donned by ISIS prisoners about to be executed by the jihadists.”

On Thursday, the local al-Masry al-Youm news website reported that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had ordered the speedy evacuation of Egyptians residing in neighboring Libya and those who wanted to return home after ISIS claimed the abduction of the 21 Copts.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its warning to Egyptians not to travel to Libya, and advised its nationals living in the neighboring country to remain vigilant and stay away from high-tension areas, an official told al-Masry al-Youm.