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4 U.S. Military Personnel Detained By Libyan Government, Officials Say [UPDATE]

Libyan Government Detains, Then Releases, 4 U.S. Military Personnel
Peter Andrew Hart
By 

Front Page Editor, The Huffington Post

Libyan investigators cars are parked in front of the U.S. Consulate during their investigation regarding the attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens on the night of Tuesday, in Benghazi, Libya, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. The American ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed when a mob of protesters and gunmen overwhelmed the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, setting fire to it in outrage over a film that ridicules Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Ambassador Chris Stevens, 52, died as he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff as a crowd of hundreds attacked the consulate Tuesday evening, many of them firing machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades. (AP photo/Mohammad Hannon)
Libyan investigators cars are parked in front of the U.S. Consulate during their investigation regarding the attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens on the night of Tuesday, in Benghazi, Libya, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. The American ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed when a mob of protesters and gunmen overwhelmed the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, setting fire to it in outrage over a film that ridicules Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Ambassador Chris Stevens, 52, died as he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff as a crowd of hundreds attacked the consulate Tuesday evening, many of them firing machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades. (AP photo/Mohammad Hannon)

Four U.S. military personnel are being detained in Libya by the Libyan government, according to several sources citing a senior U.S. official.

The New York Times reports the circumstances of the detention are not known. The official cited by CNN said the four are believed to be detained by the Libyan ministry of interior. The official also told CNN that the four were assigned to Libya for "augmenting security at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli."

Steve Brusk, a correspondent with CNN tweeted that the U.S. is "in touch" with the Libyan government, in hopes of learning more of why the four were detained.

The New York Times pointed out that photos passed on Twitter, purportedly of American passports and embassy identity cards, were not commented on by the State Department.

Last month, the U.S. military announced that it was developing plans to train Libyan security forces to provide stability to a government strained by opposing militias and hardline Islamists.

UPDATE 10:55 p.m. ET -- Reuters reports: All four U.S. military personnel detained in Libya have been released, according to a U.S. Defense Official.

Before You Go

Attack On U.S. Compound In Benghazi

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