CAIRO, Dec 31 (Aswat Masriya) – Egypt's foreign ministry is working hard to identify the location of seven Egyptian nationals kidnapped in the Libyan city Sirte two days ago, the ministry's spokesman said.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Badr Abdelatty met with the families of the seven kidnapped nationals on Wednesday, he told Aswat Masriya.

Abdelatty said the Libyan Ambassador to Cairo Faid Jibril stressed that the Libyan government has tasked "independent patriotic personalities" to communicate with the extremist groups who kidnapped the Egyptians in order to locate them and know their demands.

Authorities lost contact with the seven nationals since their kidnap two days ago, a security source told state news agency MENA.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for kidnap of the seven workers, the source said.

Abdelatty said that the Libyan authorities have no control over areas claimed by extremist groups, especially in Sirte.

The kidnapped workers are all Coptic, from the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya.

Several Egyptians had been caught up in the militant fighting gripping Libya, which has recently intensified in measures unprecedented since the overthrow of late Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Many Egyptians have been killed, while others found themselves the victims of kidnapping.

Unidentified assailants killed a Coptic Egyptian doctor and his wife in Sirte and kidnapped their daughter last Tuesday. The body of abducted teenage daughter was later found on Thursday.

The foreign ministry constantly reiterates its warning to all Egyptians residing in Libya, calling on them to avoid any conflict areas. It also renewed its travel alert to the neighbouring country, urging those travelling to Libya to secure a visa from the Libyan embassy prior to their travel.