Italian hostages probably killed in raid in Libyan city, says Italy

Two Italian civilians held as hostages in Libya were probably killed during fighting in Sabratha, the Italian foreign ministry has said.

Libyan security forces said they had killed seven suspected Islamic State fighters in a raid on a militant hideout in the coastal city on Wednesday, and later released photographs of two western men who had also apparently been killed in the attack.

Italy’s foreign ministry said the men might be two of the four employees of the Italian construction company Bonatti who were kidnapped last July near a compound owned by oil and gas group Eni.

It gave names for the possible victims, but said formal verification was difficult because Italian officials did not have access to the bodies.