Gunmen have kidnapped and physically assaulted three Tunisian nationals in Libya’s northwestern city of Zaltan, security sources told Arab Today on Friday.
The gunmen have stolen their money, passports and car before the Tunisians were taken to the Libyan-Tunisian borders where the gunmen released them but kept the vehicle.
A Tunisian foreign ministry source said that the Tunisian authorities are closely following up the situation and contacting the Libyan authorities to reveal the circumstances of the reported incident.
Armed groups in chaotic Libya often act with impunity because of a security vacuum in which two rival governments and their armed backers fight for control of the North African state four years after Muammar Gaddafi's fall from power.
Tunisians and other foreign nationals have been kidnapped or detained in the past to pressure their governments to release Libyans held overseas.
An armed group stormed the Tunisian consulate in Tripoli and kidnapped 10 staff this year before releasing them. Tunisia closed the consulate after the kidnapping.
Relations between the North African neighbors have become increasingly tense, with Tunisia's government worried about spillover from the chaos that continues to plague Libya after the 2011 revolt against strongman Gaddafi.