The Libyan Foreign Ministry on Sunday denied media reports that the head of the Administrative Affairs Department and the minister's office manager were kidnapped.

Ahmed al-Arbad, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, told Xinhua that "the kidnapping allegations are not true."

Earlier on Sunday, local Libyan media, including the official news agency, said that the two officials were kidnapped by gunmen.

Kidnapping is common in Libya, as gunmen kidnap foreign workers, local officials and ordinary citizens, usually for ransom.

Unidentified gunmen on Saturday kidnapped the head of the Libyan Islamic Endowments Authority in the Libyan capital Tripoli, according to a local official.

Libya has suffered insecurity and chaos since the fall of former leader Gaddafi's regime in 2011. The country is plagued with unrest and political division.

Xinhua