Masked gunmen kidnap Jordan's ambassador to Libya

Jordan's ambassador to Tripoli was abducted by masked gunmen Tuesday, with the kidnappers later demanding the release of a Libyan national serving life in a Jordanian prison, a security source said.

Essam Baitelmel, a member of the Libyan team investigating the abduction, said the armed group had called for Mohamed Dersi to be freed, adding that the abducted diplomat had not been harmed and was in good health.

Baitelmel added that they still do not know the identity of the kidnappers, who had called on the ambassador's phone, which he had left in his car.

The ambassador, Fawaz al-Itan, was kidnapped Tuesday morning after masked gunmen attacked his car and shot his driver, a spokesman for Libya's foreign ministry said. The abduction is the latest in a series of kidnappings targeting foreign diplomats as post-Gadaffi era Libya struggles to establish rule of law.

The driver survived the attack and was in hospital, Foreign Ministry spokesman Said Laswad said.

Jordan's Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour told lawmakers in parliament that the identity of the perpetrators was unknown.

"The Jordanian government holds the kidnapping party responsible for the safety of the ambassador and will take all necessary measures to protect his life and release him," Ensour said, without elaborating further.

The Libyan government has not discussed who it thinks may be behind the attack.

Kidnappings have become commonplace in Libya and abductors frequently target foreign officials. Since the start of the year, five Egyptian diplomats, a Tunisian official, and a South Korean trade official have been abducted.

Acts of violence against foreigners are also seemingly on the rise. In December, an American teacher was shot dead in Benghazi and in January, a British man and a New Zealand woman were shot execution-style on a beach in the west.

The weak government has been unable to disarm rebels who fought against ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, and parliament has deep internal divisions that further reduce Tripoli's ability to exert authority. Its interim prime minister resigned last week.

Tribal groups, armed rebels, and even local citizens in the eastern part of the country have occupied key oil facilities — shutting down the OPEC member's vital oil facilities as a negotiating tactic.

Residents of eastern Libya complain of a long history of discrimination by the government, and rebels there are demanding greater autonomy.

Wire services