Gunmen possibly linked to Islamist militants assaulted and seized control of a Libyan oilfield, killing and kidnapping several workers, Libyan and foreign officials said on Wednesday. A French diplomatic source in Paris said four local employees were believed to have been killed in the raid on the remote al-Mabrook oilfield south of Sirte on Tuesday night.
The Philippines Foreign Ministry said three Filipinos were among four foreign nationals who were kidnapped. France's Total has a stake in the site but it is contracted to a Libyan company. The Filipinos worked for an Italian company "Unknown gunmen stormed the Mabrook oilfield last night," National Oil Corp (NOC) spokesman Mohamed El Harari said, without providing details. Ali al-Hassi, spokesman for an oil guard force, blamed Islamists for the attack.