TRIPOLI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The head of the Libyan Islamic endowments authority was kidnapped on Saturday in the capital Tripoli, a local official told Xinhua.
Abbas al-Qadi, head of the General Authority of Islamic Endowments and Affairs of the Libyan Government of National Accord, was kidnapped in the morning and taken to an unknown location by unidentified gunmen, the official said on condition of anonymity.
The kidnapping took place at Tripoli airport, the official added.
Following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's government, Libya has been suffering escalating violence and insecurity, as well as political division.
Kidnapping is common in Libya, where gunmen abduct foreign workers, local officials and ordinary citizens, usually for ransom.
