Serbia Confirms Death of Embassy Employees in Libya

"We are united in grief after the death of our compatriots... Their bodies will be brought to Serbia late on Monday," Vucic told a press conference Saturday.

Serbian PM blamed Ahmed Abashi, a Libyan smuggler, for the kidnapping of two Serbian embassy officials.

Vucic also called on the remaining 250 Serbs to leave Libya immediately.

The two Serbians were allegedly being held by the Islamic State at a militant training camp in northern Libya that was bombed by American warplanes.

"We spoke to American services today ? it seems they didn't know that Serbian nationals and other nationals were in the location that was bombed," Vucic told journalists as he confirmed earlier reports of the deaths.

Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said earlier on Saturday Serbia would send a protest note to Washington for not informing Serbian authorities of the raid.

More than 40 people, probably including a militant connected to two deadly attacks last year in neighbouring Tunisia, were killed in Friday's strikes by US warplanes in western Libya.

Diplomats and foreign nationals have been targeted in the past for kidnapping, mostly for ransom or to demand the release of Libyan fighters being held by overseas governments. Islamist militants have also targeted foreigners.

The two Serbian embassy employees were abducted near the Libyan town of Sabrath in November of last year.

The pair, Sladjana Stankovic, a communications officer and Jovica Stepic, a driver, were abducted while on their way to Tunisia.

They were in a convoy of cars, in which Serbian ambassador Oliver Potezica was also travelling with his family, although he managed to escape the abductors.

"We were keeping things under control," Vucic said...