25 Aug 2011

Italian journalists kidnapped in Libya

3:48 pm on 25 August 2011

Two French journalists have been shot and wounded while covering the fighting around the Tripoli compound of Muammar Gaddafi.

The men received hospital treatment and are to be sent back to France.

The journalists worked for the France 2 network and Paris Match news magazine.

The foreign ministry also says four Italian journalists were abducted near Zawiya.

All foreign journalists have now been able to leave a hotel in Tripoli where they had been confined for five days.

The group of about 35 foreign journalists and at least two foreign politicians were held there.

Fierce fighting had been reported in the neighbourhood around the hotel and Gaddafi loyalists armed with automatic weapons had refused to let the journalists leave.