Kidnapped Libyan soldiers in the district of Kufra were released on Sunday night, after 18 days in captivity. The soldiers, who belong to the Libyan Armed Forces, were kidnapped when foreign gunmen on May 31, attacked a Libyan army unit. Dozens of armed men reportedly attacked the military barracks in the area of al-Saraa, bordering Chad, and kidnapped soldiers following an hour-long gun battle. An army officer in Kufra said that the gunmen were suspected Chadian arms dealers or traffickers. According to the a security source, the release of the abducted soldiers has been through mediation of elders and notables members of tribe Tabu.