TUNIS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian government said late Friday that Libyan militias kidnapped 14 Tunisian workers near the capital Tripoli.

"The Foreign Ministry is following the case of the Tunisian citizens ... kidnapped by armed Libyan elements near Zawiya, Libya," Tunisian Foreign Ministry said on its Facebook page.

The ministry is in direct contact with the Tunisian consulate in Tripoli, the ministry added.

The hostages are workers at Zawiya oil refinery, Tunisian media reported.

Media reports said that the militias demanded Tunis to release a fellow who was held in Tunisia.

"The foreign minister has spoken to his Libyan counterpart to insist on the protection of the detainees, accelerate their release and ensure their safe return," the ministry said in a statement.

Tunisia reopened its consulate in Libya in 2018, after nearly a three-year closure following the kidnapping of Tunisian diplomats. Enditem

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