VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Malta’s foreign ministry says a Maltese man who works for an oil company in Libya has been kidnapped by rebels on the outskirts of Tripoli.

The ministry on Friday said Martin Galea, 42, is a retired Maltese armed forces captain. It said he was abducted on July 17 as he was being driven to work and was taken to an undisclosed location.

Maltese officials were informed of the abduction last week. They said efforts by Malta’s embassy in Tripoli to make contact with the man, a health-and-safety professional, so far have been unsuccessful.

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