4 Filipino nurses kidnapped from hospital in Libya

A Libyan militia official said four nurses from the Philippines have been kidnapped in broad daylight from a hospital in the city of Sirte, while several others were evacuated.

The official who belongs to the 166 Battalion, a militia which is battling the Islamic State affiliate, told The Associated Press that the kidnapping took place in the afternoon from Sirte's main hospital, called Ibn Sina. He added that his battalion helped evacuate the remaining foreign medical crew in the hospital to the city of Misrata, where the battalion is based.

The incident adds to growing a list of foreign nationals including Filipinos who were seized during the same group's raids on oil fields south of Sirte in recent weeks.

In Manila, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said the Philippine embassy in Tripoli has been asked to verify the reported kidnappings so the government can take steps to deal with the problem.

The Philippines, one of the world's largest labor exporters, has banned the deployment of workers to Libya due to the escalating violence. But about 4,000 Filipino workers and dependents have remained in the strife-torn country despite a government offer to repatriate them, Jose said. [via Source]